Thank you, Madam Chair. The local housing organizations are funded to provide services only for Housing NWT. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, thank you. Is that something we are considering revisiting? I know, for example, the City of Yellowknife just bought an apartment building and is looking for someone to manage it. You know, the Yellowknife Housing Authority already manages hundreds of units. It probably would not be that much of an incremental cost to them to manage another unit. Are we willing to let any LHOs explore the possibility of managing other people's assets? I'll note that argument probably goes just as well for Indigenous governments who are looking to build their open housing but probably don't want to get into the maintenance of it. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We will be looking at the service agreements, but I also want to just inform the Member as well too that we also do have a hundred unit roll out that is happening within the lifetime of this government, and we are also struggling to find the operation and maintenance for those units as well too. It's just the reality when administering low income public housing units and social programming. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you. And I guess in the same vein, I know the Yellowknife Housing Authority has tried to apply for funding and been told they cannot directly apply for funding or obtain federal funding or any sources of funding outside of the money they get through the housing corp. Is that something we are willing to revisit? Thank you.

Minister Chinna.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Through the service agreement, they do act on our behalf. We apply for the federal funding and we provide those services to the local housing authorities. And just once again, just an example of the hundred unit roll out that has happened through the Northwest Territories, LHOs have been allocated some of those units. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, I guess I'm curious as to why that -- you know, I get that they're agencies but some of them are, in fact, registered nonprofit societies and fit under federal grant applications and most certainly would be able to go get money. And, you know, the money from the feds might be something as simple as some training for staff, energy retrofits, or building housing. It just seems having another group apply for money of their own initiatives has zero downside. I get we might want to keep a bit of an eye on making sure they're not just building assets with, you know, without the maintenance funding, but there's plenty of federal funding pools out there. I'm curious why we would not let local housing organizations go out and get it. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister Chinna.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And just once again that this is a government arm -- I mean, an arm that supports the delivery of public housing units and through our service agreements, there are requirements that they do have to follow. We do meet with the local housing authorities should there be anything they may need additionally.

We've just went out just with our energy plan that has been tabled as well too, so looking at improvements for the local housing authorities, but they do act on our behalf. They are societies and associations, but they are an extended arm to offer programs and services on our behalf. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, you know, I've said this before, I'll say it again. Either they should be arm's length and set policies on who can get into rental housing, apply for money, take on assets, or let's take those staff, bring them into the housing corporation, make them public servants, you know, are transferrable, that we can keep a track of waitlists, maintenance lists. It just seems -- I don't see any benefit to this current approach. I am of the view that giving them more authority is the way to go if we actually want local control, but. Yeah, I will try and frame that as a question.

Going forward, are we revisiting this question of, you know, whether LHOs have the proper list of responsibilities and whether perhaps, you know, allowing them to have different localized policies to their communities is in fact something we would want? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I appreciate the question coming forward, and I appreciate the Member asking about the local housing authorities because it could be quite complex but then I just want to mention with the strategic renewal that we are working towards those changes as well and recognizing them and also how can we improve those services a lot more better and offer these stronger programming.

I just want to just elaborate on one of my trips that I did take in to one of the communities, is that we were soon to discover that we need more funding for maintenance too, to address our public housing needs. But through those service agreements, those type of situations are addressed, and we are looking to work towards improvement. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Are there any further questions on community housing services? Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. On page 377, I think that's the page we're on, I'd like an explanation of why the heating fuel costs have gone up by two and a half, $3 million for 2023-2024? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That's the fuel price increase. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks. I'm sure the Minister's going to guess my next question. Does the housing corporation pay the carbon tax, and what proportion of this increase is related to the carbon tax? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister Chinna.