The motion is in order. To the motion. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it's not very often we actually comment on the last motion of our reports, given that it's just a timing thing. But I wanted to speak to this because committee tabled in the fall sitting a suicide prevention motion, and that was our first of a series of actions in response to the coroner's report. This report is our second action in response to the coroner's report. And what we were doing is the tools that were at our fingertips that we felt could hopefully have immediate responses and have a positive impact on supporting Northerners and preventing suicide and suicidal ideation harm in the Northwest Territories. And some of the recommendations within this report are things that we would like to see done before the 120 days. 120 days actually takes us to the very last sitting of the 19th Legislative Assembly, which is in August. And one of the things that we've called for, for example, is a youth led youth conference in the Northwest Territories. So while we've requested a response within 120 days, I hope that we can start to see some action from this far before that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you've concluded consideration of Committee Report 50-19(2)?

Thank you, committee. We've concluded consideration of Committee Report 50-19(2), Strengthening Community Supports, Lifting Youth voices: Recommendations on Suicide Prevention.

Committee, we've agreed to consider Committee Report 47-19 (2), Homelessness Prevention - Supporting Pathways to Housing NWT Residents. I will go to the chair of Standing Committee on Social Development for any opening comments. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee's report was read into the record on March 7th, 2023. The Standing Committee on Social Development focused our study on homelessness prevention. Homelessness prevention targets policies, practices, and interventions that prevent a person from experiencing homelessness or reducing the risk of homelessness reoccurring. The Northwest Territories is facing an unprecedented housing crisis directly connected to a rising number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the territory, and in this territory the consequences of homelessness are deadly serious and life threatening. That's why this work needed to happen, Madam Chair. Despite this work being personally challenging for both the committee and those who had the courage to share their experiences with us to make this report stronger.

I would like to thank every person who shared their lived experience with this committee. From May to December of 2022, more than 165 people came forward to give their perspectives. People engaged in community meetings, private meetings, in-camera presentations, written submissions, and an anonymous survey, Madam Chair.

Committee took two approaches to this report - a homelessness prevention approach and a trauma informed approach. The recommendations put forward by this committee are intended to support pathways out of homelessness and toward being safely housed, as well as recommendations to prevent or reduce the experience of homelessness in the future.

Madam Chair, each person in the NWT deserves the dignity of a home. Through a culturally safe coordinated all-of-territory approach, it is possible to prevent homelessness. A collective response requires all to step forward and work toward housing all community members. Individual Members may have comments. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 47-19(2). Member for Thebacha.

This Homelessness Prevention - Supporting Pathways to Housing NWT Residents is extremely important to my riding. We don't have a homeless shelter and, you know, we made every attempt to address the individual needs of people that are homeless and not one -- not one of those cases came out positive. It goes on deaf ears. Yeah, how many point systems could you take to make a change, you know. It's not about that at all. It's about making sure that people are not sleeping on mattresses. You know, there's an elder that was kicked out just before Christmas with a daughter and sleeping on mattresses and couch surfing. And the house is still all boarded up and locked up. Then you have the other elder who was in a tornado and he has to pay the highest rate ever because now -- and he has -- he has medical problems. And now recently I have two students who are trying to do -- make a better life and were in addictions and they're young; they're young people. They already have three children, and they have one on the way, and they're on a waiting list because now they're rated on a point system. You know, homelessness is extremely important issue within the Northwest Territories and, you know, I'm speaking only on behalf of the -- like, the people of Fort Smith because I don't know what happens everywhere else, but I'm sure it's everywhere. And I don't see a lot of change. I've been here now -- well, we're in our final year, last six months, and positive change has not happened. And I'm very concerned about the way the files were dealt with. You know, we have to go through this, we've got to go through that, we got --you know, and then you never hear. In fact, I had to run down the hall today a couple times just to get an answer. And it's a negative answer again, you know, so -- you know, Madam Chair, homelessness, no matter who it is, whether it be a youth, a single parent, family members, a whole family, it's a major, major issue. And if you don't -- how could you fix anything in society if you don't have a home or some place you call that is your own. And with that, you know, I just -- I think about all these things, and we have to do better.

You know, you can do 20 strategies. I don't care how many strategies anybody does but common sense sometimes prevails. You know, common sense and making a decision and showing leadership. Sometimes I don't see that. And as, you know, a former chief and, you know, I've been in politics now, this'll be my 18th year, and saw many things. It concerns me that these issues we're talking about now are unbelievable.

You know, I met -- you know, I saw a lot of different situations when I was at Salt River, and I see the broader situation now that I've come here and listened to some of my colleagues. You know, like -- like Jackie and like everybody around this table, and I'm sure even across the aisle.

You know, it's a sad situation when we're talking about this in this day and age and the country that we live in, Canada. You know, one of the best countries in the world they say, yet we're sending all this money off to other countries to make sure that they're okay but they don't look after our own. And that really concerns me. And, you know, I'm very concerned about the homelessness situation in the territories, and I will continue to advocate on behalf of the people that don't have a home within Fort Smith, the broader South Slave, and the NWT. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, if we have more housing in small communities, there would not be any homeless issue. And if housing policy -- it's a housing policy that created a lot of homelessness too as well. You know, there's, like -- if you go to our warming shelter in Behchoko, all -- many of those people are there because of the housing policy. So it's the housing policy -- if housing policy was fixed, you know, we wouldn't have this issue. But if we -- all we need is more housing. And another one too is that for young people, okay. There's no support for young people who are between the age 18 and 19. Like, once they turn 18, the federal government child tax cuts off. They're legally adult. And so they're not eligible for income assistance. So what do we do with those young people? And so only when they turn 19 they are eligible. And we have young people who age out of youth in care. I know quite a few of those young people. They're good young people. You know, they are trying their best. They want to get out of the system. They don't want to be part of that child welfare system. They're working really hard. But sometimes because there's no safe place for them to live, they have no choice. You know, like some of them, they get stuck in an unwanted relationship. And so it shouldn't be like that. And it just seems like we don't have no program and services in place for these young people. We need more housing for these young people.

Like, I have -- I have quite a few in my constituents that are couch surfing. And they apply for income support because they don't have a room. They were denied. The family that are looking after them were denied income assistance. Everything costs money. And here we're talking about carbon tax yesterday. You know, and the fuel costs money to heat the home, so. And groceries, the cost of living. But some of these people, they love those kids so they're helping them in kind. But they do need the assistance. And this is where we are failing some of our young people. It is really sad. You know, like, I mean because some of these young people, they are working really hard. They don't want to be part of the system. They want to beat the system so they are working hard to be in school every day so that they can move on with their life. So they can do something better, you know, later on. They want to graduate from high school. But we're holding them back because we don't have all these system in place for them. Some of them are stuck. And they're making choices that, you know, that they don't want to make. And a lot of them are in a relationship that they shouldn't be in, and they're putting themselves at risk, and that's why a lot of these -- so me of those people that are helping them, they are trying their best to help them. And I know the family that are doing that. They are helping these young girls and young boys, so they don't have to get stuck in the system so that, you know, get them to move on.

They like -- we all want best for our youth. So if we have more program and services, just like, you know -- if we have more program and services for them, some of these issues, you know, will be dealt with, and more houses, they have a safe place to live, to sleep at night. They don't have to worry about where they're going to be going for tonight. And it's not just in my region; it's in other regions, as well and especially in Yellowknife too, you know. So we hear all kind of horror stories about -- from young people of what is going on out there. So I think this is -- the recommendation that we are making it's -- it's good. And I will continue advocating for our young people and for many of your vulnerable in my community and in the NWT. Thank you.

Thank you. General comments? Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, just a highlight on what Ms. Jane Weyallon Armstrong was saying. We're having the same issues in my riding. A lot of, like, couch surfing, people struggling, and, again, it's the -- the weather's not forgiving. It's cold where I'm from in regards to shortage of houses, shortage of everything, people -- family taking care of family. You know, some units, 10 to 15 people, five-bedroom units. It's -- this is not a joke. We have to sort -- we have to try to fix this issue. You know, it's not only the government. But, you know, it's our own land claim group too. We have to work together to try to get units put in and safety -- the safety of young girls and safety of young men because they got nowhere to go. And people that -- you know, it, Madam Chair, as well as I do, any time you go to somebody's house they always make sure you eat, and we're blessed to be able to do that in our communities, that we try to take care of one another. But, you know what, people are getting stretched so thin, you know, and we need to help them. They need help. And we're here as 19 Members here in this House, like, could make so much difference for the betterment of the people that we represent. And I really think that -- I really hope they're listening on this and try to work with us on this to get it sorted out before we're done. Thank you, Madam Chair.