This is page numbers 2867 - 2906 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 know.

Topics

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think we all recognize that my tenure in the GNWT is a bit of a Gordian Knot and given the competing Indigenous land rights, it is a -- one of the most difficult areas for our government to navigate. But the Housing Corp has requested all of its leases from the Department of Lands in fee simple. We've had problems where we have brought units into communities, and we can't actually find any land to put them to on. So the units just kind of sit there. And I know multiple people in communities who have wanted to build houses and finding land to build a house on can be extremely difficult. And I guess there's a lot of different ways that this can work, but I think specifically one of the barriers that people found was with having leases, it wasn't as easy to get mortgages; it wasn't as easy to get insurance. And I think the Department of Lands in having lots of leases to administer within community boundaries has really stepped into an area of best dealt with at the community level, land use regulations that, you know, administer things like bylaws or setbacks on properties are best dealt with by communities, and this is really an area I would like to see the GNWT get out of and give to communities.

Now, that's not always easy - it's easier said than done because different communities have different views of how they want land title to look. And, you know, I know a number of Indigenous communities have looked to things such as 99-year leases or different creative ways to get their communities access to land. But I guess to me, this motion is really speaking to that the current method is not working and we need to increase access to land to put houses on because our people cannot find land to live right now, Mr. Chair.

So I'm happy to see this motion. I know -- I think every single municipal election in Enterprise, they ask for their land. I know the City of Yellowknife, every single election asks for its land within municipal boundaries. There's a lot of people asking for access to land to put houses on in this territory, and if we can make some progress on that in the life of this Assembly, we can make some progress on housing. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question's been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a policy and program barrier document and support Indigenous groups to overcome barriers to qualify for federal financing programs like ministerial loan guarantees. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question's been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories partner with the northern private sector nonprofit and Indigenous governments to develop government lease agreements to support access to financing for the development of housing stock and programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion? Member for YK North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe right now the Housing Corp rents about 200 units, and it rents it off of very large southern landlords. I propose that those lease agreements would be suited with Indigenous governments and non-profits or northern people in the private sector. So I know a number of Indigenous governments have wanted to take on housing, but the O&M proves a barrier. So the more that the GNWT can enter into long-term lease agreements with Indigenous governments, the more security they can have in O&M and taking over their housing for their citizens. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question's been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstention? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories increase government funding and rental housing stock to provide supportive rental housing programs for vulnerable populations to have housing and onsite support to remain housed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question's been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories work with community partners to create an indeterminate community-based preventive maintenance program for homeowners. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Question's been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.

---Carried

Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories expand and increase funding to the Northwest Territories House Housing Corporation repair program and decrease program eligibility requirements to reduce the future number of homes requiring major repairs and support solutions for existing homeowners. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Member. The motion is in order. To the motion? Member for YK North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that in the nonmarket communities where people own their peoples, we've tried for years to, you know, kind of help them and build homes and I guess ultimately the reality is in a nonmarket community a house is depreciating asset, and we have to kind of blur the lines between public and private housing in nonmarket communities. And committee heard from people that, you know, owning a house in a nonmarket community that there isn't government support. So I think from a pure housing standpoint, the government needs to look at every single house as an asset and every single house needs to be preserved. So whatever we can do to preserve houses. Thank you, Mr. Chair.