We actually just got a person in that position. They're going to start with, I think, the community of Behchoko is one the communities that is going to be first looked at. We're hoping to get about four to six communities per year to get it done.

As the Member mentioned, you know, trying to get a survey out in the last year of this Assembly could be a little tough. I just want to make sure that our NWT Housing Corporation, our five district offices have the support they need to implement some of the programs that I just mentioned earlier on, in terms of the community housing plans, addressing core need progress, looking at our seniors, working with our stakeholders to make sure that, within the life of this government, we can have a strong impact on the housing issues that we hear about, that we see when we travel to the communities, and working with Members.

The last large core needs survey that was completed by the NWT Housing Corporation was in 2014. At that time, the corporation pulled all of the seniors' needs out and showed that as a separate need because seniors have the highest core need in housing across the territory. I'm wondering if the Minister would be able to glean that information from the recent seniors' housing needs survey that was completed?

Most recently we just met with AVENS. We talked about: how do we look at the seniors' survey that we're doing? The two communities that we see that are going to be in highest need are in Yellowknife and in Hay River, but we want to make sure that we address all seniors' issues throughout the Northwest Territories.

Over the last few years we've built five senior complexes in various communities throughout the Northwest Territories, and we want to make sure that we address them in all of the regions. Working with AVENS, as I've always said, when we work with our stakeholders and the federal government, we are hoping to make some good announcements, working on trying to settle our bilateral agreements as well as other funding sources that they have.

We do know there is going to be a need for seniors' housing, long-term care facilities. We do want to help our seniors age in place, stay in their units as long as they can, and support them through the programs that we currently have. On a case-by-case basis that comes through the office for concerns for all Members of this House, we do try to, the best we can, work with seniors with the situations that they're in. I think when we get this survey completed, with the seniors, we're going to see that is, you know, right across the territory; but as I mentioned, I think Yellowknife and Hay River are going to be our two first communities that we're going to have to be looking at programs, as well as possibly infrastructure. We'll continue to work with Members and continue to work with our stakeholders such as AVENS, NWT Seniors' Society, and such.

Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was wondering if the Minister could tell us, tell the House if, from the work that's done with the survey, looking at past surveys, and so on, the Minister has any indication whether or not the core need across the Northwest Territories has gone up since 2014, has gone down, or has remained fairly level? Thank you.

Progress has been made in meeting that commitment that was previously made last fall to assist 250 households in core need per year, with various programs. I could probably take the rest of the time on the clock to announce it. I am willing to share this information with committee. I'm getting the go-ahead, totally. There have been about 646, not an exhaustive list, of core needs actions. I did mention some of them earlier. We have looked at public housing tenants and getting them off their arrears to address it. Thirty-seven senior households, aging in place retrofits; we also have rent supplement participants. I am willing to share this information with committee to let them know what the NWT Housing Corporation, our district offices, have done to address this.

It is a very exhaustive list and I would be willing to list it, you know, line item by line item, but I will share it with all Members to show that we are addressing the core needs here in the Northwest Territories. All the projects and programs that we are going to continue to do this year are going to continue to address the core need and have an impact, so we'll see to it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. I foresee a written question coming up. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. That's a tough act to follow. I want to ask a question, if I may, of the Minister of Infrastructure. Most of us, or some of us, attended the announcement in the Great Hall this morning about $23 million under the federal investment under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, but when I checked that figure against what our allocation is supposed to be on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website, our allocation is actually supposed to be $31.225 million, so there seems to be $8 million missing here somehow. Can the Minister of Infrastructure explain to the House what is happening? Thanks, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good eye on the Member. This is true. The $8 million shortfall is for one of our items, six items that we submitted under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, and the federal government is trying to get some more clarity around it before they actually give us the funding for that application. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course, he knows I'm going to follow up on this. What is going on? What did we actually propose and what seems to be the problem here? Can the Minister share that kind of information with us in the House?

I will get that information and provide it to the Member on exactly what the application was and what the situation is for them asking for more information.

Of course, I would urge that the Minister get that to us sooner than later. In the announcement this morning, there was some money for public housing. Can the Minister tell us what the amount was for the retrofits on public housing?

The federal contribution toward public housing is $4 million.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. That's an interesting figure. I know that, when there was an announcement in Nunavut about their Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund funding, Nunavut is devoting $12 million to public housing retrofits. Why are we only asking for $4 million? Can the Minister explain this? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I would suspect that we did a cross-department ask on these funds in applications, but I can only go out on a limb and say, to start with, Nunavut's housing needs are a lot different than the ones in the Northwest Territories. I suspect that, when we did this cross-jurisdictional department ask on the support of this funding, that was probably the ask put forward that we had landed on with all the departments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up with some questions with the Housing Minister. When we are talking about the seniors' housing strategy or survey that has gone out, it is very specific to Yellowknife and Hay River. So when will the Minister be looking to expand it into the other communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to clarify, this is a seniors' survey right across the Northwest Territories. What I want to clarify is that, out of that survey, when we do get it, and we will share it with committee and share it with the public, is that it's going to show that Yellowknife and Hay River are the most in need of services that we're providing, and that is just a reality of the situation that we are in in the territory. It is a survey that is going to be right across the Northwest Territories and we are getting input from all of our stakeholders on this.

The community plans that I had mentioned earlier are also going to address some of the priorities that are needed in each of the communities across the Northwest Territories, and like you said, whether it's going to be seniors, whether that's going to be the homelessness, singles, families, we're going to try to do the best that we can to address all these concerns over the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. I guess my big concern is that I have seen the survey and it's very tailor made to Yellowknife and Hay River, for the seniors. Will there be a new survey or is this survey that we are using to come up with answers? Because right now, when I send it out to my constituents, that was their questions. This is a Yellowknife or a Hay River issue. It doesn't help us. Was that the survey or are we coming up with a new one?

I do know that I had mentioned that it was a survey and I was working with our stakeholders to complete a, more like a study, I guess I would have to say, to see what are our needs across the Northwest Territories. I only said it was a survey because we're going out and consulting; our district offices or working with their community members to develop this study that is going to say what is needed for seniors across the Northwest Territories in years to come.

As I mentioned, Hay River, Yellowknife are probably going to show that they are the priority and they are going to be needing a lot of senior support in housing in years to come. I remind you that we did over the last few years construct senior units and complexes in Aklavik, Fort Liard, Whati, Fort Good Hope. We are currently working on the ones in Fort Good Hope and Fort McPherson. Hopefully, those will be completed this year and we can get seniors moving into them and helping them out.

I appreciate the answer. I agree that, you know, work is being done, but we're also looking at the small communities. I know Yellowknife and Hay River are going to see a big number, but I go into my communities, every community that I represent, seniors is an issue. I can tell you some of the seniors have been very explicit in what they say about moving out of their community; I can't say those words in this House here. It's great to hear we're looking at Yellowknife and Hay River, but how are we going to look at the smaller communities? Can we look at small complexes for the smaller communities? The small ones like the Jean Maries, the Wrigleys, and the Nahanni Buttes and Sambaa K'es of this world.