This is page numbers 4473 - 4520 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

We don't have non-profit organizations in all our communities, just for the record.

How will the department work with the Housing Corporation to ensure a coordinated government approach to this mandate commitment?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I am not 100 percent sure what mandate commitment we are actually talking about, because we have quite a few mandate commitments. I am sorry, but I have to ask clarification on what mandate commitment specifically the Member is asking about.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

It seems to be a mandate commitment to have our public housing residents to have an increase in payment to their power bills. That is what I am referring to.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you for clarifying. I didn't realize that the utilities was actually a mandate commitment, so I will have to look on that. I can say that we need to support people so that they become as self-reliant as possible, recognizing that self-reliance isn't something that will be attainable for everyone.

I understand the reasoning for the Housing Corporation's decision. I used to be the Housing Minister, and my understanding is that within some communities, because people weren't paying their utilities, houses were becoming the public car wash. When people were hot in the winters, instead of turning down the thermostat, they were opening windows.

I understand the theory on how we needed to get people more taking care of their utilities and realizing the cost. I think what we missed in that is that we need to look at income support as well. How do we reward people for actually being more conservative with the utilities? We are in a day of climate change. We are in a day of really ugly things coming for our children and our grandchildren if we don't start getting people more conservative, looking at how can I as a person help impact what is happening within our world, within the Northwest Territories? I need to look at more ways to be more positive and reinforcing and rewarding good behaviour versus punishing bad behaviour. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, my question is: does the NWT Housing Corporation have plans to expand the Northern Pathways to Housing program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do believe I did a Minister's Statement on the good work that we are doing with the Northern Pathways to Housing program.

Currently, we have one of those programs set up in Fort Simpson that is being managed by the Liidlii Kue First Nation. It is working really well, and I am proud to say that we have helped some people transition into housing or get the support and assistance that they need, whether it is treatment or to get back on their feet. We are going to get one shortly up in Behchoko here, and we are hoping to see some good results out of that. As I mentioned when I did that statement, we are going to be expanding one into the community of Aklavik.

We are going to monitor and evaluate, like we do all of our programs, and see where we can address some of the homelessness concerns and issues outside of the regional centres into some of the smaller communities. I am sure the Member is referring to Nunakput, and as we monitor and evaluate the program and see how we can expand it, we will definitely look at it. It is a pilot program, and on its initial stages and evaluations, we are seeing that it is serving the right purpose. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

During these past couple of weeks or, actually, during this session, we have seen realities. Sometimes we don't need studies to see that programs or departments are failing, and they are failing hugely. One of my colleagues mentioned to the Premier that they need to be accountable for the services that we provide to the territory. We really need to stand by that, Mr. Speaker. Housing in my region is becoming less and less as the population grows.

Mr. Speaker, core need as well as general housing availability are critical housing issues across the territory. Mr. Speaker, how is the Housing Corporation planning to increase available housing stock, specifically in Nunakput?

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

I will refer back to another Minister's Statement that I gave earlier this session, and that is the work that we are doing with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. We have seen some great success. Also, in partnership with the federal government, we have been able to build some new housing stocks in all of the communities in the Nunakput region. We are going to continue that partnership moving forward.

One thing that I have also mentioned, which is a great initiative under the NWT Housing Corporation, is that we are going to start developing these community housing plans that are going to identify what are the priorities, what are the core needs of each of the communities across the Northwest Territories, whether it is seniors, whether it is homelessness, singles, multi-unit units, and we will work with the community leaders and the stakeholders to address them.

There are a few things that we are doing. One other program that we have been working on is a new home ownership program, and we are going to be rolling that out, hopefully, over the next year, and identifying getting some new homes in each of the five districts that we have across the Northwest Territories.

As I mentioned before, I do pride myself on partnerships, and I am looking to work with the local governments, Indigenous governments, and I think one of our strongest partnerships that we have right now in the Northwest Territories is with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and I continue to look forward to strengthening that partnership and helping them address the housing needs in their communities.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

I appreciate the response. There is such a need for housing in every aspect, not just here in Yellowknife, but across the territory. We don't see it. We don't travel often enough to the regions to see the suffering, sometimes, of some people. I think, Mr. Speaker, we need to make a point of getting out more and maybe having sessions outside of Yellowknife. I know this is the legislature, but there are times when we need to go to different regions to see what it is really like over there.

Mr. Speaker, my next question to the Minister is: what other corporation initiatives are planned to address the need for additional transitional housing across the territory?

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

One of the things that we are doing within the NWT Housing Corporation is going through a strategic renewal to identify some of our priorities, look at our policies, and what needs to be changed to make it easier and better for people to either own a home or get into public housing.

As I mentioned, the community housing plans are going to help us identify those, because we will be working with leaders and the people in the communities for them to tell us what they need, and I think that is a big step.

For transitional housing, I know that is an issue right across the NWT, and we want to address that. We want to work with our stakeholders, our NGO groups.

We also have a program, the Community Housing Support Initiative, where we do work with community governments to help identify some of those needs and how we can work together to build, whether it's a transitional unit or just, kind of, housing stocks in their communities and promote our programs that we have.

There is a lot going on. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, they have a good understanding of our programs. We meet with them on a regular basis, and we are hoping that information does filter down to the communities in the Nunakput region.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response. There is a real need for collaboration across departments and, as well, with the government to Indigenous organizations and Indigenous governments in the territory. Mr. Speaker, there is a real need.

Mr. Speaker, to date, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation was given $24 million directly from the federal government to build homes in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Mr. Speaker, with $24 million, one would think that $24 million would result in more homes as injections like this are key to the government. Over this session, I have listened to Ministers --

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Member for Nunakput, what is your line of questioning?

Herbert Nakimayak

Herbert Nakimayak Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with $24 million given to the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, one would think that that would inject more homes in the region, mind you, in the territory. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister doing to ensure that the number of homes increase with the population in Nunakput and then across the territory? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

I have named off a bunch of programs that we are doing. One thing that we also are doing and actually have a good partnership with the IRC is unit disposal plans. If we can get rid of some of these, whether they are derelict units or units that have reached their life cycle, then we open up land to build new housing units. We are continuing work with the IRC to address some of these housing concerns. We will continue to support them, work collaboratively with them, and continue to lobby and work with the federal government to see how we can get some of the Indigenous housing funding through their National Housing Strategy here to the Northwest Territories so other Indigenous governments can have the same success that the IRC is showing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Housing. Mr. Speaker, there were some questions on the power rates that were eventually increased to where, I believe, that the tenants in public housing are paying their own power. At one point, it used to be a payment of a small amount per kilowatt hour, and then it continued to grow until they are paying everything. One of our mandates is to lower the cost of living. I would like to ask the Minister: the benches that are set for rent, it depends on your income; you pay a certain bench. If the power that the tenants are paying is over and above that bench or if that bench is adjusted to accommodate for the fact that they are paying their own power? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, the NWT Housing Corporation is not planning to address the subsidized public housing rent scale. We are going to continue with this program as a user-pay power program. As I mentioned yesterday, we have seen a decrease of about eight percent in consumption, which means that tenants are actually taking responsibility. They are conserving more energy. It is a good program. We are seeing some good results. At this time, we are not planning to adjust the subsidized public housing rent scale. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider making that adjustment for the bottom and, like, the power subsidy program, where, in the wintertime, everybody is subsidized at the Yellowknife rate, up to $1,000, and, in the summertime, everybody is adjusted to the Yellowknife rate, up to $600. I would like to ask the Minister if that portion of the power bill could make an adjustment to the actual benches of the rent.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

As I mentioned, right now, we are not looking at adjusting that. I just want to remind Members of the House here, as well, that our shelter costs that our tenants pay are much lower than the national affordable standard of 30 percent of their income. Our tenants are still paying a lot lower than what the national standard is. Currently, we are not going to be looking at adjusting it.

We are looking at ways we can be more energy efficient. We have a lot of other programs that will offset that. We are continuing to work with our partners at ECE, Health. There are a lot of programs that we are working to try to lift people out of poverty but also give them the basic needs that they need to succeed.

The NWT Housing Corporation has developed some great programs over the last couple of governments. We will continue to support those programs, promote those programs, and strengthen out partnerships with local governments as well as our stakeholders.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

I agree with the Minister. I realize that the maximum amount set in the rent scale is 19.4 percent, not 30 percent. The reason it is there is because they are public housing tenants. They have low incomes. They have to be below a certain income threshold in order to be in public housing. I am asking the Minister again to look at the power subsidy portion, which is that subsidy I referred to where everyone is brought to the Yellowknife rate up to a certain amount, if the Minister would look at making the adjustments based on that number. I think that would be the more appropriate way that would continue to have people be conservative with their power. I ask the Minister again if he would look at that. I am not expecting a commitment here on the floor but if he could look at that.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, I can take a look at that. We do want our tenants and our residents of the Northwest Territories to be a little bit more energy efficient in how they conserve energy in their units. Obviously, some of our communities only have a set number of fuel. We want to make sure that we can continue to support and make sure our communities have the adequate fuel sources to keep their houses warm, especially during the winter months. We definitely can take a look at that.