The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Member, for your comment. I just want to elaborate on that. The Sahtu region has established their own housing society. They do work in partnership, and we do have community initiatives where they take on their own housing projects within that community. Also, this year, we do have a roll-out of RCMP units that are coming out. The community of Deline, as well, has accessed federal money where they directly did not go through the Housing Corporation. My region is very active for housing solutions, and they have worked in conjunction with each other to try to find and alleviate their housing issue and their housing problem on their own. They did also look at the homelessness, as well, and looking at men's shelters, women's shelters. Right now, there is a lot of innovation that is happening throughout that region and a lot of success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

All of the communities, we do have a housing authority, as well, associations, so we should be treated similar. I just want to get across an equitable and fair process within this government. That leads me to my next question. Where the Minister alluded to earlier about the pathway program, with the distribution of these projects, housing projects into the communities, I have questions on the pathway program. Could the Minister explain how the Housing Corporation arrived at a particular income threshold for eligibility under the pathway program?

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

In developing the northern pathways program, we had a lot of interest throughout the communities. A lot of our programming that we do develop starts at the community level and looking at the needs throughout the Northwest Territories and looking at the income threshold. The purpose of the northern pathways program is to help homeless people transfer into public housing or either home ownership. With wrap-around services, looking at that opportunity, we are also working with the addiction issues that we do have in the Northwest Territories, and we do work with the department of health.

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

I would like to give an example of a family-size versus a single-size income. The Housing Corporation bases home-ownership assistance on need. Family income is how the Housing Corporation determines that. What role does family size and disposable income play in deciding if the family has too much money to qualify for the pathway program?

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

This is a discussion we are having within our department, as well, and I do hear the Member's concerns, as well, because he had brought this up in the past, before. We are a traditional territory, as well. We do have elders who are located in our public housing units, and we do have additional family members who do care for them. As the Housing Corporation, we do look at household income to determine the amount of rent that is going to be charged for that individual. Right now, I am looking at that, and I do come from a smaller community. I see this right at the grass roots. It does become an issue because it does happen that the elders who are either living privately or within the public housing units, that they end up not being qualified for certain programming. I do hear the Member's statement and his concerns. I will be working with my department, and we are actually looking at that and reviewing that right now.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. The threshold cut-off is $100,000. I'm referring to an individual that makes $115, and there are over $15,000 threshold. They have three kids and household income. Mr. Speaker, a family of five has been told that is well off, the home-ownership subsidies under a pathways program. This is not the first time. Of course, being on a single income, they aren't rich at all. A family of five can't wait for a lengthy program review in order to get the pathway application reconsidered as the Minister alluded to is under review. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister make an exception for this family? Would the Minister reconsider the family's application, realizing that, under circumstances, an extra $15,000 a year should not make them too well off for a home-ownership assistance program. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

I do see that throughout the Northwest Territories. I do recognize the cost of living, as well, and I see the threshold of $100,000, that is the maximum for what the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has displayed. I also want to inform the Member, as well, we need to show consistency and fairness throughout the Northwest Territories when we're looking at our applications. We need to make sure that when we're looking at the applications, that we are fair and we are consistent and we are meeting the needs of the Northwest Territories but also that when the requests come into our office, we do find additional information that does burden those applications as we go forward. We do try to alleviate every single avenue we possibly can to making sure that these applicants are successful. I would like the Member to provide that information to my office so I can work with the client and provide a more thorough and further update to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was very interested to hear my colleague's questions from the Deh Cho and the Minister's response about the economic repairs, so I'm curious to hear more from that about that from her, what is that threshold, as well. My questions are around the empty housing units, the ones that are still within the ability to be repaired. Could the Minister please tell me how many of these empty housing units are waiting repair, and what is her plan to ensure that there is a significant effort and progress in bringing these back into use? Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.