This is page numbers 1443 - 1480 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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

Jackson Lafferty

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

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

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Katrina Nokleby

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

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During COVID-19, the Housing Corporation did commit $5 million to bringing our units up to standard and having to meet the needs of the Northwest Territories. Looking at that commitment, we did put out a list of a substantial amount of units throughout the territory. Right now, I just want to say: approximately, not the exact number, but the last update I was given was 65 units that were ready-to-go and they were repaired. They were allocated at the community level, but we do have an additional amount of units that we are working with right now that I do want to make sure that if we have these ready and available, that the energy efficiency of those units are well, and that we do acknowledge that, as well, that if we're going to be renovating these units, that I want them to be ready, I want them to be done, and I want them to be very efficient.

The other thing is that I want the Member to know that we are realizing that we are having some complicated approaches, as well, to looking at our contracting going out. We do have some issues with allocating the contracts where the community members don't want new people into their community. We are respectfully looking at COVID-19 and wanting to not have too much transition at the local community level. This has burdened our projects, but then, as soon as COVID-19 had hit, we were given the announcement. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation was completing and working with the smaller communities and the Indigenous groups to provide them a further update on what it is that their construction season would look like and how this would affect projects going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

That segues really nicely into my next question, which is that we often hear about our housing projects costing more and not being able to build to the same standards as private industry. Can the Minister tell me how the department is working to ensure that there is a better bang for their buck when it comes to constructing new units, and what is the Minister doing to ensure that contractors are held accountable for any deficiencies and that we're not paying out of the public purse for bad project management?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

When we're constructing the units, we do look at the National Building Code of Canada. I don't think we have it updated for the Northwest Territories. I just want to make that sure. I'm making sure that the department are constructing these units, that they're energy efficient, and that they do meet the national standards, as well. The huge message of looking at these units and constructing them is I want them to last. I want them to last 50 years, whatever, and that we could be able to do just the one-time construction and that the buildings would last for some time.

Also, looking at the construction season and the contractors, as well, is that we do have some contractors that we end up having to pay a little bit more looking at completing those projects. The contractors are obligated to put forward a percentage down, so it does provide security so we don't have to look at taking and fulfilling that gap through the Housing Corporation. We do work with the contractor to pursue financial security prior to the contract and the project commencing.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

May I suggest to the Minister that she have her technical staff take a cold regions engineering course, which would help them with some of that and being able to hold people to account. Could the Minister please explain to me how she is liaising with the communities and other departments to identify the housing units that either are GNWT owned or privately owned, where we could be retrofitting and repairing them in order to help support seniors staying at home and preventing further deterioration of the stock?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Within the Housing Corporation, we do have employees right at the grassroots level. We do have district offices, and we do have headquarters, as well. We do have the technical advisors that go into the communities and also assess the projects and the applications that we do receive going forward and looking at the needs of those communities. Also, to measure the amount of funding that we possibly can need to have the seniors age in place and supporting them through projects and making sure that, if you are able to look at -- I just want to give an example to the Member that we do have a fuel tank replacement program throughout the Northwest Territories that is available privately and also within our public housing units. Also, we have community initiatives, funding, as well, where we work with Indigenous groups and the community, as well, where they identify certain issues, would it be renovations to seniors' housing, replacing fuel tanks, stairs, mobility access issues that that community may be experiencing, that we do have partnerships that are available like that to work with the community and to provide them an amount of funding.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's great to hear. I would encourage the Minister to ensure that that information is distributed widely and easily understood by constituents and residents. Could the Minister please explain to me what she and her Cabinet colleagues are doing in a new manner to aid citizens and incentivize people into private home ownership as I spoke in my statement. Pride in our homes is important, and it also does allow for better quality and taking care of the stock if we have people owing. Thank you.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Home ownership is a priority within the Housing Corporation. We do have right now that all of the single-family housing units, they are up for sale. I had also the number of 248 high-income earners that we do have in our local public housing units, that they are encouraged to get into a lease to own, for them to own their homes, and also for us to work collaboratively as well to making sure that we do provide home-ownership options. The other thing I wanted to explain is that within the units that we may have that have been unoccupied, we are putting forward $20,000 per unit to make those units available to the communities, and to encourage them to get into home ownership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Speaking with different people within our communities, there is a lot of buzz around the co-investment fund, and people are eager to help us spend these dollars. What I am asking for from the Minister is: will the Minister agree that the Housing Corporation needs to take on a more proactive role in being better advocates for spending this money within our communities? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the past probably six months, the Housing Corporation has met with CMHC, and we have toured the territory together, looking at the programming that is available and trying to encourage Indigenous partnerships to come forward and looking at the great opportunity that this would be to be able to meet the needs of housing construction throughout the Northwest Territories and involving stakeholders coming to the table.

Also, I wanted to just let the Member know that the Housing Corporation has also put out an advertisement for, like I said, a co-investment project officer. Hopefully, this position will be staffed before Christmas. The purpose of this position is to make sure that constant communication is happening throughout the territory. I am committed, and I want to have this money spent, the $60 million, before the end of this government, at least have applications that are committed, so we could start lobbying the federal government for an additional amount of funding. The Housing Corporation is working strategically with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

We originally discussed the role of having a person within the Housing Corporation back in February. My next question was going to be: is this person hired? I am a little bit disappointed to hear that this person isn't on the ground yet because it's someone who could have been spending the last six months during COVID really getting projects up and running so that we could get Northerners working on building homes for Northerners.

I have the answer to my next question, but I really think it's important that the Housing Corporation fast-track this role because we need somebody in that role to not only talk to people about the co-investment fund but really be a champion for the co-investment fund and also be an advocate on the ground, actually connecting programs between government departments. That leads me to my next question, which is: what will this person be empowered to do in order to connect programs within the GNWT and also by connecting levels of government? I want to better understand how this person is going to make sure that these dollars get spent.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

I just want to say I am really excited about looking at this co-investment fund. Honestly, we need to have more interest at the table. When we toured the territory, it was of interest. Indigenous groups wanted to come forward, stakeholders, as well, and they found this program quite interesting. Ultimately, looking at the position to be hired, the Member is correct. This person is to be a champion of the co-investment fund to make sure that we do have commitments by the end of this government that this funding is exhausted and it is spent. I also need somebody who is going to be very strongly affiliated at the community level, as well, and be able to understand and be able to work very effectively and strongly at the community level. Right now, the position is within human resources and being reviewed. Also, I just wanted to mention that we did have challenges with COVID-19 and getting the position out right away and also evaluating it and looking at the responsibility of this position. The position is out for advertisement, and I am hoping to have this filled at least by Christmas.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

I am looking forward to an early Christmas present, I hope, from the Minister. Also, in addition to that, I know that, among business owners and community members alike, using COVID-19 as a way to describe why things take longer, there just isn't an appetite for it anymore within the Northwest Territories, especially when it's something like hiring and potentially hiring a local person. I just want to caution Cabinet around continuing to use that because I think that people want to see Cabinet move past that.

My next question for the Minister is that I was happy to hear the Minister acknowledge that the Housing Corporation is working with CMHC to try and see if the Housing Corporation can take control of the $60-million carve-off and really be in charge of shipping that money out to projects so that we alleviate the dual level of government. What I am wondering is: does the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation have the resources to proactively spend this money over the course of our term?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

I just wanted to also comment on the COVID-19 response. I, too, as a Minister, think that we have exhausted our explanation of "due to COVID," but at that time, it was due to COVID. Right now, the job advertisement is out there. Also, I wanted to just mention that I would like to see the position also give an opportunity to somebody who is out there who is able to translate and be able to work and be able to be very effective within the Northwest Territories, to make sure that they support the Housing Corporation, support CMHC, and get these applications going forward.

I just wanted to also say that, looking at the advancement of the program and how we are going to be working in conjunction and working together, there is a lot of strategy and a lot of strategic planning that is going on right now, so I will keep the Member informed. I am hoping to have something very strongly implemented at least by January and be able to come back to the Members and let them know the progression of the co-investment fund.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. One of the things that I alluded to in my Member's statement today was the potential to combine different funding pots within the GNWT and with the co-investment fund. One of those examples that many Members talked about this week was after-care, and there is an opportunity here for us to use co-investment dollars in order to create the infrastructure and then go to somewhere like Health and Social Services and use on-the-land wellness funding in order to provide the program supports that may go along with that. I am sure there are other buckets of money with the federal government and with the GNWT that could be resourced for something like that. My question for the Minister is: has the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation looked into ways that they can access these dollars in conjunction with different departments, and are they willing to sit down with the Department of Health and Social Services and have a conversation specifically about after-care? Because I can assure the Minister that there are many Members on this side who would love the opportunity to have a success story in their constituency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Absolutely. When I look at the opportunity that the co-investment fund has to offer, I would like to see more of an innovation happening going forward. We do have other infrastructure throughout the Northwest Territories. I would like the co-investment fund and the Housing Corporation to be a part of that. There is room for the applicants to become creative. If we are looking at after-care, as well, and looking at infrastructure for the Northwest Territories, as long as we have adequate housing that is going to be provided within those facilities, that would be something that would be of interest to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the CMHC, as well. Not to speak on behalf of a federal department, but I have seen a lot of different acknowledgements and different projects presented to us during our tours. This is something quite similar that has been expressed throughout the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.