Thank you, Madam Chair. One of the things the Housing Corporation is working on is Indigenous partnership. It's a huge priority for us within our department, but we have additional housing programs and additional housing partnerships that do exist in Fort Smith. With the announcement of the federal money that they did have, we did work in conjunction with them. Looking at opportunities like that, the Housing Corporation is in a different financial situation that we have. It's very unique how we administer and how we program-deliver compared to the other government departments. However, with what we have got, we really need to rely on the Indigenous partnerships so we could look at working at projects together, so we could start initiating and start to put more houses on the ground. I really elaborate on the Indigenous partnerships and the federal money that they are able to acquire. I will have Jim Martin elaborate on the response. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.

Thank you, Mr. Martin. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to go back to the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. It's controlled by the Government of Canada, the fund. We are always going back to that: there is $60 million there; there is the co-investment fund, and 25 percent is all you've got to put in. If the Government of the Northwest Territories is really, seriously thinking of closing the gap on housing in the Northwest Territories, $16.5 million is not a bad investment to make sure that we all get equal access to housing in the Northwest Territories and putting the money in so that the $60 million can be controlled by this government. I think that thinking out of the box is about time. I think that we have to start realizing that there are other ways of killing the cat when it comes to housing. That's our biggest issue as Members in this House on both sides of the House.

I think that, with all due respect to the housing department -- it's easy to say, "We're going to go through this." What is one retrofit in Fort Smith going to do for the community of Fort Smith? Yes, we do have a partnership with Salt River First Nation. I initiated that program, but there's not only Salt River in Fort Smith; there is the Fort Smith Metis Nation; there is the community at large. We have a community that needs housing. Using this co-investment fund as an answer every time without doing anything about it and taking it seriously and getting it into our control is not okay.

It's unacceptable for a government to have all this money sitting there, $16.5 million, and that will solve most of the problems. Instead, we're nitpicking of who gets what and who plays with what. We do play a game here. It's almost like a big dartboard. We're throwing darts, and we're seeing who is going to get this today. One retrofit? It sounds really unbelievable how this works. I'm not used to thinking in those terms. As a businessperson and a person who has done some amazing things with the community, not only of Salt River but the community of Fort Smith, to listen to people at this level talk in those circumstances is unbelievable.

I think the bigger picture for all the Northwest Territories, and we're talking about vulnerable people here, I don't care what colour or race or whatever they are. Most of them will be Indigenous, but there are all vulnerable people from all races. It just gets to me that I have to look at page 66 again just to remind myself. I should have brought a magnifying glass to see exactly what I had there: one retrofit. It's really unbelievable. I would like the Minister to make a commitment like one of my other colleagues says and go to the financial management board and ask for this $16.5 million, get this money into our control, and start looking after the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I hear the frustration. I hear you. The co-investment fund is frustrating. It is an opportunity by the federal government, and I am absolutely frustrated with it. It's an opportunity that's out there, but it's not an opportunity. One year to process an application is absolutely not acceptable. Now, we're looking at this rapid rehousing, and they gave us three months to go ahead and throw applications in. I look at it as an absolute insult, and I think, "Why isn't the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation capable of accessing that money? We can distribute, and we can report to the federal government and say, 'This is how we've spent it.'" Looking at the list that we have, with the amount of money that we do have as a corporation, and looking at the additional program delivery that we do have in comparison to what the retrofits and the houses that we're putting on the ground puts us in a different place.

I hear you, and I hear this throughout the Northwest Territories. I've been to some communities where we don't even have public housing units that are existing, but then people need their furnaces done. They need their houses repaired. I can honestly say that we are in almost a crisis when it comes to housing. There needs to be more emphasis on it. I absolutely agree with you, and I am getting frustrated as a Minister for housing because it's just a lot of needs that need to be met out there. We're dealing with different clientele, as well, that come with addiction issues and mental illnesses. It's larger than what is displayed on this page. I hear you. I honestly do. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Chair, in closing, I just say one thing. We could do positive changes and make a difference in this government. I hope that people start realizing there are other ways of doing things than the usual way. I think that we have to look at other ways. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. I'll take that as a comment. We'll move to Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, my first question is: what is an M and I project? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I can't think of that at the top of my head.

---Laughter

I'll have Mr. Martin respond. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.

Thank you, Mr. Martin. Member for Great Slave.

Lots of all these funny words. I've looked through your list here very quickly. You have 113 units that there will be retrofitting this year coming up. If you just do a very rough calculation of the total dollars, we're looking at $94,000 a unit for a retrofit. I understand that there are different variations of levels within these units and what would be required. Can the Minister explain: is the cost of this so high because there are hazardous materials and such that need to be dealt with? It just seems like a large number for a retrofit of an existing unit. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are a number of different approaches we'd have to take, also environmental and structural and the design. There is a lot that goes into the retrofits. I'll have President Tom Williams respond.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Williams.

Thank you, Mr. Williams. Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Member. Minister.