Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, the demand for public housing outstrips our financial capacity to provide it. It's a game of catch-up that has no end in sight.

In June of last year, the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation announced a potential solution, to have northern manufacturers build modular homes that could be shipped to communities across the NWT. The Housing Corporation publicly tendered a design-build request for proposals in April of last year for 39 units. After evaluating 16 proposals, a large contract was awarded to Concept Energy Services in Hay River for 19 two-bedroom duplexes, and a much smaller contract for one two-bedroom standalone unit was awarded to Energy Wall Building Products here in Yellowknife. I have been unable to find the contracts the Minister promised to post on the GNWTs Contract Events Opportunity Website, so I am not sure of the dollar value. The Concept Energy Services contract is obviously worth millions. Work was scheduled to be complete by the end of March this year.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister heralded the modular housing contracts as a game changer. She said it would spawn a new northern manufacturing industry. It would create more than 100 jobs. It would serve the private sector as well as government. The modular homes would cost between 25 and 40 per cent less than stick built homes. The homes would be energy efficient and built to withstand northern winters. Mr. Speaker, it looked like a win-win situation. Fast forward to today. There are three contract opportunities now available to finish three partially completed two-bedroom duplexes in Ulukhaktok. Ulukhaktok was one of the destinations for the modular homes being produced in Hay River. Are these the same modular homes? How much money has the government already paid for these modulars? My fear is that a promising idea hasn't panned out. Instead of being a game changer, the northern manufacturing of modular homes is a bust. I will have questions for the Minister. Mahsi.