This is page numbers 2439 - 2492 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

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be referencing the northern pathways program. I will have Vice-President Franklin Carpenter respond. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Carpenter.

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Carpenter

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't think we have any planned for this year, but that program is absolutely on the top of our priority list. There has been some discussion today about homelessness, particularly in small communities where there are no facilities. This is a very successful program in that it's a small four-plex. Usually, the homeless are single people. We would try to find a local group to run the operation and do the programming there. I think it's going to be our best program in addressing the homelessness situation, essentially in rural or remote communities. As I said, it's our top priority to find funding to keep that, to expand that program into as many places as do not have any shelters or a homeless shelter, big shelters or small ones in their community. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. You would have a Member here who would be very supportive in voting for funding for more of those types of programs. Just a last comment: I am really interested, myself, in looking at communal styles of living, places in Europe where they do create a different model of housing, where they have a central area, communal area, communal kitchens and then smaller units off where people can live. This strikes me as something that would be very worthwhile for our northern communities that live in this type of communal style already. Just more of a comment that, if we are going to do jurisdictional scans, that we also look outside of Canada and look to countries that are being innovative and showing new paths forward. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. I will take that as a comment. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank, Madam Chair. I am happy to see the $6.6-million increase for the housing support initiative/co-investment fund on page 384. I think a lot of work has been done, and I am thankful to the department for that. Can I just get confirmation that we did hire a person to help navigate the co-investment fund? Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we did hire a person for the co-investment fund. I think she started in December? January? December. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Do we have an update on how many applications are currently in the co-investment fund, whether it's in the larger one or the carve-off from the Northwest Territories? I'm just trying to get a sense of how much potential money we can get out of the federal government here. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

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Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have President Tom Williams provide those numbers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Williams.

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Williams

Thank you Madam Chair. Certainly, the investment that was made to assist proposed to access the co-investment fund is a good thing. Right now, having our community relations advisor in place has been very positive. We're seeing a lot of outreach happening jointly with CMHC. Next week, we're travelling into Hay River. We've got some meetings in Hay River with the seniors' society, with some of the developers, meeting with the Metis, so the First Nations, Soaring Eagles Friendship Centre, West Point First Nation, KFN. We're getting the word out there that here's the fund; here's how to access it. The community relations advisor is serving as a navigator, as well, to help people to get their applications submitted, to get questions that they may have to seek answers from CMHC directly. It really has tied a close, working relationship with CMHC, a closer working relationship.

Right now, there's three applications here in Yellowknife that are very close. The letter of intents have been submitted, so they're very close for final approval. They'll be the first ones receiving funding under the co-investment. I think the funding is coming out of the national pot. There's been some movement on securing funding for the applications that didn't get approved through the rapid housing initiative. I think that was shared with the Members yesterday, so there's been some good progress. We're hoping that as the outreach continues with CMHC, we'll get more applications on the table, and we'll start seeing delivery. Hopefully, we'll see the first shovel in the ground this summer here in Yellowknife. We're excited. I think the big missing link was having, we have a dedicated resource now that is supporting clients and proponents who are accessing the fund. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I think this is one of those success stories for all of us that we can kind of draw down some money. Previously with the co-investment fund, I know some of the tension has been that it's a 75 percent fund, and there's a bit of a debate about how much the GNWT will contribute. We have $7.8 million allocated here. How much do we need to be able to say that we will contribute that 25 percent, and is that something that we are willing to do now? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member, Minister.

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Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have President Tom Williams respond. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Mr. Williams.

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Williams

Thank you Madam Chair. We're very fortunate that we got the funding received through MFB. That $5 million a year or $15 million over three years is certainly going to help providing our cost share for these projects. Now, is that enough money? There's never enough money. It all depends on the volume of intake we get. Right now, we see it's sufficient for meeting the needs now. Hopefully, things are going to start moving quickly on this, and we'll get more applications coming forward. We know for a fact, one thing, NGO's, they don't have the financial capacities as, say, a private entity or Indigenous government. Most likely, we will have to contribute the full 25 percent like we committed to Arnica Inn and to the project in Hay River, the Hay River Family Services Centre. We know NGOs don't have the luxury of having the strong financial position. Again, there're other proponents that come in that they could get everything on a loan basis through the banks or through CMHC, and they need less of a portion for the co-investment application from the GNWT. Every application is different and they vary, but right now, we have the money. We're going to be spending it. Hopefully, we come back to get more money because there will be an increase in volume. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm glad to hear that, and yes, I just encourage the Minister to keep all MLAs apprised. If it gets to a point where we have a bunch of applications for 75 percent federal dollars sitting there but we don't have the money in the budget to make sure we draw it down, please let us know and we can continue to try and fight for that money. Can I get an update? I'm looking at the new home program. I see last year, the last two years, there's been -- last year, there's $1.7 million applied to this, but it's gone down $1 million. Can I get an explanation for that decrease?

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Minister.

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Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Vice-President Franklin Carpenter respond. Thank you.