Debates of June 11th, 2024

This Hansard is the unedited transcript and will be replaced by the final copy soon (generally within 5 business days). In the meantime, direct quotes should not be used, when the final is published it will seamlessly replace this unedited copy and any existing links should still work.

This is from the 20th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Funding Opportunities for Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Programs

Inuvik Petroleum Show

Change of Name Act

Sahtu Graduation Season

Changes to Student Financial Assistance Offerings for Indigenous STudents

Emgergency Shelters

Folk on the Rocks

Solutions for Education for Indigenous Students

Mental health

Supports for Autism

Frank Gruben Pride Festival

Laura Gareau Retirement

Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

Report 7-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the 2022-2023 Public Accounts, Deemed Read

Report 7-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the 2022-2023 Public Accounts, Received and Adopted by the Assembly

Report 7-20(1): Standing Committee on Public Accounts Report on the Review of the 2022-2023 Public Accounts, Response by Government within 120 Days

Report 8-20(1): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Committee's Initiation of a Project to Conduct a Review of the Land and Water Permitting Regulatory Framework

Report 8-20(1): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Committee's Initiation of a Project to Conduct a Review of the Land and Water Permitting Regulatory Framework, Received and Adopted by the Assembly

Acknowledgements

Autism Supports

Applying for a Name Change

Meeting Shelter Needs in Yellowknife

Chief Jimmy Bruneau School and Residential School System

Solutions for Education for Indigenous Students

Mental Health Training

Strategic Educational Planning for Sahtu

Incident Command System for Emergencies

Tabled Document 119-20(1): Letter dated December 6, 2023 from Alternatives North to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding Public Participation in a Regional Study under part 5.2 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act Tabled Document 120-20(1): Letter from the Assistant Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to Alternatives North regarding Public Participation in a Regional Study under part 5.2 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act Tabled Document 121-20(1): Letter dated January 30, 2024 from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to Alternatives North regarding Public Participation in a Regional Study under part 5.2 of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act

Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Tabled Document 118-20(1)

Mackenzie Valley Highway Business Case Renewal

Consideration for the Hamlet of Enterprise to Receive Top-Up Funding

Extended Adjournment of the House to October 17, 2024

Bill 7: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act 2024

Bill 8: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Industry, Tourism and Investment - Deferral of Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment

Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Housing Northwest Territories - Deferral of Housing Northwest Territories

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 31-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): 2024-2025 Main Estimates - Industry, Tourism and Investment - Deferral of Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister to the question.

June 11th

Lucy Kuptana Nunakput

The homeownership entry level and market housing program was a program that was introduced in 2007. It was 300 housing units across the Northwest Territories. Housing NWT would work with clients to offer a two to three-year program with the HELP program, so they would take on that unit after two to three years. This is continued to 2024 so we're, like, almost 20 years still running a program that was supposed to be discontinued in 2009-2010. So what we're doing with Housing NWT is we're going to look at the remaining clients. I think we have about 50 remaining clients, and council them to take on the unit as part of their home, to buy it as their home, through a forgivable loan program. And the other units that have been vacated or given back to Housing NWT will either become public units or market homes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. That's more clear, I think. If we go down to the preventative maintenance program, and so it looks like the budget is being decreased from where it was last year. It's still a little bit above the 2022-2023, but it also seems like it would be super valuable to -- you know, the description of the program is assisting households to complete preventative maintenance, making minor servicing repairs, which seems like exactly the type of thing that we need to be doing more of so we don't end up with more costs and renovations and new homes always having to be built. Can you explain why it's being decreased from last year's funding levels? Was it fully subscribed? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Minister.

June 11th

Lucy Kuptana Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Vice-president Martin will answer this question, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

I'll go to the president -- sorry, vice-president.

June 11th

Jim Martin

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was an internal budget adjustment made for 2024-2025. There was a reallocation of funds from the preventative maintenance program to the community housing support initiative program. We wanted to increase the community housing services program while at the same time maintaining a sufficient level of program budget to accommodate current client need. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

So the proposed budget amount for preventative maintenance program for this year, 2024-2025, at $932,000, is that going to be sufficient to meet all of the needs or the applications that you would have coming in based on, say, last year's level of applications, or will there be people who get turned away with that amount of funding in that pot? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 11th

Lucy Kuptana Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The number proposed is based on actuals from last fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

June 11th

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Okay, that's good to know. So my last question is if for some reason we do have, you know, a lot more people coming forward this year wanting to do preventative maintenance, it seems like something we would really, really want to support, would there be ways to shuffle around money from other pots, such as the emergency repair program or something, to be able to accommodate people wanting to do preventative maintenance? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Housing NWT would look for that internally. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I got a hand up from the Deh Cho for one additional question.

June 11th

Sheryl Yakeleya Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was so excited I forgot to ask one more question, so I have this other question. I was so happy residents might be able to access a program to assist them with their living conditions. The criteria, I wanted to know what is the criteria for the emergency repair program? Thank you.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

June 11th

Lucy Kuptana Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Chair. President Young is looking for the information at this moment. But when we look at applications for emergency repair or homeownership, we do have a number of things that clients would have to be eligible for, including our core need income threshold, so they have to be within that threshold to be applicable. They also have to have title to the home. And President Young can provide more information to this question. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the president.

June 11th

Eleanor Young

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In addition to what the Minister said, this program is intended for urgent health and safety repairs is really what it's targeted to. It's a maximum of $15,000, and it's forgivable within the year. So clients can apply in successive years if they require that kind of emergency assistance. And, yeah, as the Minister said, income tested. And I think that's the key pieces of it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Okay, thank you. Okay, I'm going to continue on now. Seeing no further questions, we will not be voting on this activity total.

Moving on to housing operations supports starting on page 390. Are there questions? Yes, I want to go to the Member from Great Slave.

June 11th

Kate Reid Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So earlier, in an earlier section, the Minister clarified that the housing needs assessment and the housing infrastructure deficit assessment mentioned in Housing NWT's business plan will be moving more expeditiously. That's great news. My question is more centered on the business plan in general. And I'm bringing it up here because usually that's a joint production of the folks who are housed in housing -- operations and support.

My question is there are many actions in the Housing NWT business plan that do not have targets, and I'm just wondering if the Minister will be updating and sharing that plan now that there are some changed pieces in it, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

June 11th

The Chair Richard Edjericon

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Debates of June 11th, 2024

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