Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister have an estimate of how much additional expense in responding to COVID-19 has fallen on the shoulders of municipalities? Thank you.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT and the federal government have provided NWT communities over $9 million in funding to help community governments with their pandemic-related costs.

As I said previously in this House, Municipal and Community Affairs will be reviewing the financial impact on community governments of COVID-19 response as part of the 2021-2022 year end fiscal process. So in other words, when they get their audited statements and that, we will be looking at that to see if there hasn't been an impact on communities, and then we will move forward on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I guess that's a question that I'll have to come back around to once MACA has had these audited statements and are able to take a look at them after the end of the fiscal year. But we're two years in now, and so I guess a better question is given the results of the 2020 year end statements MACA would have already seen some changes to that. And so is the GNWT working to address these additional expenses, then, that would not have been part of the original municipal funding formula? Thank you.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said previously, we've given $9 million to communities with some real good flexibility to it. They have the ability to use that money as they see fit where they need to address their pandemic issues.

Moving forward, we understand that, you know, COVID's going to be a part of the process and we are encouraging municipal governments to start budgeting accordingly. But we're more than willing to sit down and work with them with their budgeting process as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To date, we have in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, we have 1100 in population. Out of those 1100 in population, we have an average household -- here I have recorded of 372. And our public housing units in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding is 189. 36 of them are market units. Eight of them are HAP units. And over the past ten years, we've invested $22 million into the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that information on hand to see what is going to be allocated for each of the ridings but 80 percent of our budget is allocated to the smaller communities functioning with our district offices, our local housing authorities, and also our programming.

Over the last ten years, the Housing Corporation has put in $13.6 million to construct 50 housing units and major repairs to 118 units in the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, $3.9 million for homeownership or repair programs, and $4.7 million for minor housing repairs on our public housing units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did follow up with the Member as well too. We did have a brief conversation about our community initiative programs that we do have. And he was interested in looking at what significant repairs are required in his riding.

One of the things that the Housing Corporation is in the process right now is that we do have community housing plans. We have met with his communities - Dettah, N'dilo, Lutselk'e, and Fort Resolution. Those would be identified in those community housing plans. So I will follow up with the Member and if this is something that he would like to be highlighted in those community housing plans, I would like to have the opportunity to speak to those Indigenous groups in those specific communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.