Thank you. Minister for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have president Young respond. Thank you, Madam Chair.

President Young.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. We're on the executive portion, and I guess this is where the leadership for the Housing Corp is, and the buck stops here.

I'd like to know how forced growth is considered by the Housing Corporation and its operations and, you know, how that figures into submissions to the Financial Management Board or whatever. So how is forced growth factor into what we're seeing here? Thanks.

And the reason why I raise that is the inflation rate in Canada and Northwest Territories is probably around 5 percent. And I just don't see that being added to any part of this budget. So I'd like to get a response. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have vice president Jim Martin respond. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Mr. Martin.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks for the information. Can I get a list, then, of the forced growth parts of the NWT Housing Corporation budget for 2022-2023? A list of the forced growth additions. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have that at my fingertips. I'll have vice president Jim Martin respond. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Martin.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. Okay, it's going to be -- I'm trying to be diplomatic here. This is nothing against the staff for the Housing Corporation who are working very hard and I get a sense that we're on the verge of making some fundamental change. But I just don't understand what the problem is in getting more money into the Housing Corporation. I've been here for six years, and it just doesn't happen. I don't understand whether the Housing Corp actually puts together submissions to the Financial Management Board and Cabinet for more money for housing, or if they get denied. I just don't understand why we're not getting more money for housing.

Clearly, this is a priority for all of the MLAs, and we just don't see any growth.

The regular MLAs, we had to fight very hard to get, you know, one-time increases of $5 million a couple years for the Housing Corporation. You know, earlier, Madam Chair, you said, ask us for more money and we're going to get it for you, or we'll approve it. So what is the problem in getting more money for the Housing Corporation as a GNWT contribution? I just don't understand it, and I'd like an answer. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, I kind of was asked a similar question earlier today, and in respect to the other government departments that we do have when we are allocated funding for the Northwest Territories, that to be the fairness and consistency throughout other programs and services that are provided. There is a process that we do have to go through. And putting in those submissions, we do have the opportunity to put those forward to FMB and be requesting funding. But we also have a number of programs and services and projects that are leading in the Northwest Territories, and we just have a limited amount of funding that we do work with. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair, and I appreciate that coming from the Minister responsible, but my interpretation of that is that the Minister needs to be fighting very hard and working with her colleagues in Cabinet to get more money for housing. And I just don't know what to do anymore because as a Regular MLA for six years, I've asked for more money for housing every time and nothing seems to happen. I'm just about ready to give up here.

I agree with my colleague behind me from Yellowknife North that maybe we need at least $20 million more. I've been pushing for a plan to get us out of core need for probably four or five years. I think we're supposed to get that sometime soon. But I just don't understand why Cabinet is not directing more money into housing. Our own contributions.

You know, we got to stop blaming the feds. We got to stop blaming everybody else. If this is a priority with this government, we need to be spending more money on housing. And I'd like to hear from the Minister about that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I know -- I hear the Member's frustration, and it is frustrating as well too with the number of concerns we have throughout the Northwest Territories and looking at our response and our program delivery. But right now, the federal government is key for us. And I just -- we just got over a COVID response, you know, and looking at those further expenditures as well too that were just unforeseen, that we have felt it in the Housing Corporation as well. And also looking at the co-investment funding that was provided to the corporation over five years of $5 million annually. And the corporation does try to be very strategic with the funding that we have received. You know, I am pressing my colleagues but like I had said, we have such a huge response within the time of this government and I want to just -- for myself, just point blank, that COVID has really set us off into a different area of further expenditures that we, you know, had to endure over this -- over this time. But I will have -- like, I'll have president Young respond as well too because we just have a limited amount of funding, houses to put on the ground. We're able to get the 90-unit delivery, and the Indigenous groups are getting a fair amount as well but it's not coming to the territorial government. Thank you, Madam Chair.