We'll now call Committee of the Whole back to order.

All right, committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 561-19(2), Main Estimates 2022-2023, and we are continuing with the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. We'll continue on where we left off yesterday, which was with community housing services. Do I have any questions or comments from Members in regards to this section? Oh, sorry, just wait. Minister. Minister of Housing, do you have witnesses?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Yes. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, can you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have with me today president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Ms. Eleanor Young, and vice-president of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Jim Martin. Thank you.

Thank you, and welcome back. Okay, Members, now we'll get back to any Members have any questions/comments to the community housing service. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm hoping this is -- I can ask this question. It's to do with homelessness. And you know, we've been spending -- the department's been spending a lot of money on providing services throughout this pandemic, and I think more so than they have in the past, because I know in Hay River, you know, we didn't really have anything in place for a men's shelter. In this last two years we have. So -- and it's worked out pretty good. We've been looking at approximately maybe, you know, between six to eight people that require the service. And we've had -- you know, we've had two years here. The Hay River Council for Disabilities have been providing that service, night shelter; they've been doing a good job. I talked to the -- I talked to the clients, and they appreciate what's being done for them. However, what we have to do is we need to look at something I guess long term, and I think that the disabilities council is willing to -- I'm hoping they're willing to work with housing and the government trying to establish something that's -- that is longer term and can provide some real programming for the clients. So I'd ask the Minister, you know, what is it that her department is doing to -- long term to look at supporting shelters for people without a place to live? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. I'm just kind of wondering if this question is under -- would be under programs and district operations, not the -- this one is more based for the LHOs, my understanding, but did you want to -- I'll allow the question to continue though. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have a number of homelessness initiatives throughout the Northwest Territories, and we try to work with those nonprofit organizations but also really emphasizing on the co-investment applications where we're able to support. But we do have the two shelters in Fort Simpson and in Hay River that are listed that we are providing funding for. And the only two homelessness initiatives we don't have is in Nunakput and in the Sahtu. I'll have Ms. Eleanor Young elaborate on those homelessness initiatives. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. President Young.

Thank you, Ms. Young. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I appreciate that. I'm glad to hear that, you know, we are -- we're not just, you know, ignoring the -- what's happening out there and that we are doing something, that your department is doing something. So that's good news.

And I guess the next question there is I know the Housing Corporation at one point was talking about providing a service that would allow the authorities or associations within the communities to -- I guess to be a type of retailer or sort of a retailer for -- you know, say, for plumbing, a little bit of lumber and that, where that doesn't exist in the communities. Is that something that's still being looked at, or in the works? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, that was a conversation and a comment that was made in the past, and we're wanting to provide material to respond to either freeze-ups or what may be needed at the ground level. I'll just ask vice-president Jim Martin to respond and to see what communities we've actually provided additional material for those responses. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I kind of want to move on here and it was something I talked about the other day in questions I asked the Minister during session, is to do with -- you know, we know that -- we know that the waiting lists are long and -- in the community, and Hay River especially. And, you know, we were supposed to get a couple units; I haven't seen them on the ground yet. And I guess just a general question is, you know, how much work is going in to really planning for additional accommodation in communities? Like, Hay River, for instance, we have that piece of land where -- known as Disneyland that's been empty for a number of years. And I just want to ensure that it's -- that somebody's actually working on something and that -- and there's a timeline with it. And same with the -- you know, with the -- with other buildings. And that -- and you know, and it's not just Hay River. It's probably other communities as well. So I think it's important that, you know, at least for me I like to see -- I'd like to see us moving forward. I'd like to see somebody working on the plan. I'd like to see some timelines. Is that something that the department is undertaking or is it just kind of -- are we just putting out fires? Thank you.

Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I just -- you know, this has to honestly do with funding that we do receive, that -- but looking at that I did provide the five-year occupancy for the Disneyland area, and -- or no, am I getting these two mixed up? This is vacant land? All right, and that is forecasted that we would be looking at considering development on that area but I'm not too sure on the timeline. Madam Chair, I'll have President Young respond. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. President Young.

Thank you, President Young. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So there's -- well, I guess there's -- so I'm going to start with there's currently 2,900, roughly, rental housing units and public housing -- or community housing services, rather, and what is the plan for how many units are planning to come online in this coming fiscal year of new units? Thank you.