This is page numbers 3681 – 3720 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 housing.

Topics

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to table the following document. It's a joint letter from 14 downstream Indigenous governments regarding the Site C Dam, addressed to the Premier of British Columbia, dated November 30, 2017. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table two documents. The first one is from the Canadian Press, September 11, 2016, article, "Site C project not keeping with Aboriginal treaty rights or UN declaration: Bellegard"; and the second one is from Amnesty International in 2016, "The Point of No Return, Human Rights of Indigenous People in Canada Threatened by the Site C Dam." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Committee Report 4-18(3), Standing Committee on Social Development Report on Adult Residential Addictions Treatment Facilities Tour 2017; Minister's Statement 1-18(3), North Slave Correctional Complex Inmate Concerns; Minister's Statement 19-18(3), Aurora College Foundational Review Process; Minister's Statement 32-18(3), Update on the Northwest Territories Disability Framework and Action Plan; Tabled Document 63-18(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019. By the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 7-18(3), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider business before the House, with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

March 6th, 2018

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 63-18(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019, with NWT Housing Corporation and Legislative Assembly as items under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, committee. We will consider the document after a brief recess.

---SHORT RECESS

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 63-18(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019, beginning with the NWT Housing Corporation, which begins on page 369 of the document. I will turn to the Minister for opening comments. Minister Cochrane.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2018-2019 Main Estimates for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. While the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's estimates propose an operating budget decrease of $845,000 or 0.8 per cent from the 2017-2018 Main Estimates, the Government of the Northwest Territories contribution is increasing by $1.5 million to $76.4 million.

The proposed estimates include forced growth of $550,000 for housing, water, and sanitation services, as well as an increase of $2.9 million towards the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Housing Initiative, bringing the 2018-2019 investment to $8.4 million. This strategic investment will help ensure that our communities are able to staff policing personnel and will also contribute incremental revenue that will assist the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation address declines to date in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation funding for public housing operations.

The 2018-2019 Main Estimates include a new revenue item of $3.6 million related to the federal Northern Housing Fund, whereby the Government of the Northwest Territories will receive $36 million over the next 10 years to address priority northern housing issues. Further details on partnership funding from the National Housing Strategy are expected over the coming months.

These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly by addressing the cost of living by implementing northern solutions for northern housing such as the Fuel Tank Replacement Initiative, utilizing $300,000 to make homeowners' houses and the environment safer, and $2.9 million for the New Home Program. A housing support worker pilot will be launched, with $170,000 committed for 2018-2019. To provide opportunities for public housing tenants to purchase their homes, $400,000 will be invested to repair and make ready to purchase 20 public housing units as part of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's three-year pilot initiative to sell up to 60 public housing units.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will continue its strategic investments in supporting the mandate priority of assisting seniors aging in place by investing $3 million in 2018-2019 to begin the construction of a mixed-rent seniors housing complex in Yellowknife. To inform this and future seniors housing investments by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, a seniors planning study is now under way that will help identify current and emerging seniors housing needs as well as provide valuable insight into what housing features seniors are most interested in.

In order to prepare for partnership opportunities that may arise when the federal government announces details of the National Housing Strategy, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is investing $900,000 for the Community Housing Support Initiative, which provides support for local and Indigenous governments to develop projects of their own design. This program will provide a template for tripartite partnerships between Indigenous, territorial, and federal governments.

That concludes my opening remarks, and I would be happy to answer Members' questions. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. I understand you have witnesses you wish to bring to the Chamber. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses for the record.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Mr. Ron Williams. Tom Williams, the president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Sorry, family members. On my right is Mr. Jim Martin. He is the vice president for finance and infrastructure services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Welcome back to the witnesses. Committee, we have agreed to forgo opening comments. The departmental total can be found on page 373 of the main estimates. It is $103 million approximately. We will consider the four activities and the one information item contained in the detail before considering the departmental total.

The first activity, community housing services, begins on page 376. Comments or questions from committee for this activity?

NWT Housing Corporation, community housing services, operations expenditure summary, $56,634,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am just looking at schedule 3 of the business plans, the public version from the website, and I see that there is going to be a reduction to local housing, LHO funding contributions of $217,000. Can someone explain what that is all about? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We did a review of the local housing organizations, and we found that a number of them actually had surpluses, so we have scaled back so that those surpluses, it is not okay to have local housing organizations having surpluses. We lowered the amount of funding to them, and we will be looking at different opportunities for them to actually bring in revenue and, if needed, we will increase those as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. Is this a multi-year cut that is going to happen over a number of years, or is this a one-time thing? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it is over two years. For the two years, it will be $217,000. Like I said, we are watching them closely. If they need additional monies, we will support that, and we are also looking at different ways that the local housing organizations can bring in funding. For example, some of the communities are talking about how they don't have access to repairs for people who are over the income threshold, and they don't have supplies. We are just in that policy review. We are looking to see if the local housing organizations can expand to meet not only the public needs in the market housing to public housing, but can meet the housing needs within the communities as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. How does the corporation determine the allocation of this $217,000 reduction? Is it just a handful of LHOs, or is it all of them? How is that calculated? Thanks, Mr. Chair.