Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Again, it's important that we get this information out there and that residents understand, because myself as well, as I'm sure as many other MLAs, do get a considerable amount of phone calls on the issue and to get this information out there, I think is great.

One final, Mr. Speaker. The Minister signed a collaborative agreement on housing with the Gwich'in Tribal Council, which I think is amazing and it's the kind of work we need to be doing. Can the Minister describe how the department is also working with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Inuvik native band? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT has shared samples of formal agreements established with other Indigenous governments for consideration by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Housing NWT is committed to work with Indigenous governments through formal or informal arrangements. Housing NWT continues to meet with IRC informally and is working with them, for example on specific partnership project ideas as well as supporting them in securing land required for their own housing investments. This includes reviewing all vacant land buildings owned by housing and determining if those properties could be released to IRC in their communities or for their use. Housing NWT has signed a collaborative agreement with the Gwich'in Tribal Council and will work with them as well as the Inuvik native band and the Nihtat Gwich'in Council on housing priorities in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. I got it finally right. I said NWT Housing. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of housing explain what efforts Housing NWT is doing in working with communities to help curb homelessness across the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Minister for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Homelessness is a complex issue that requires an interdepartmental approach to provide a range of housing and health related wraparound supports. A Way Home, the GNWT's Homelessness Strategy, acknowledges this truth and has set us on a path towards integrated service delivery. Currently, Housing NWT operates two homeless shelters in Inuvik and funds shelters in Fort Simpson and Hay River as well as funding NGOs such as the YWCA, the Yellowknife Women's Society, and the Salvation Army, who provide services directly to the homeless population. Housing NWT also coordinates frontline training to NGOs and the GNWT Inuvik shelter staff to help build capacity for frontline staff who assist people that are experiencing homelessness. In addition, Housing NWT has also provided funding via the Northern Pathways to Housing for individual cases with wraparound supports. As the GNWT implements integrated service delivery, we anticipate enhanced collaboration and coordination with other government departments and agencies and eventually non-GNWT partners. Implementation of the integrated service delivery will include establishing five integrated co-located teams across the Northwest Territories that will initially be focused on supporting residents experiencing or at the risk of homelessness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that answer.

Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly, there was a commitment to create a hundred units for vulnerable persons in the life of that Assembly, which was noted to be the first expansion of public housing stock in decades. I thank the Minister for clarifying this past February that those units should be completed this summer.

Can the Minister please explain if Housing NWT intends to seek further federal funding to make similar investments into our public housing stock during the life of this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT, as part of the GNWT federal engagement approach, will include housing as one of its top priorities for discussions on funding with Canada. Housing NWT will be focused on finding new sustainable long-term approaches to addressing housing needs. Housing NWT's supported by the other GNWT departments has begun preparations to engage with federal officials and will be doing so shortly now that the mandate has been finalized and released. The federal government, in its recent budget, announced a number of funding programs to address the national need for housing. A key interest of the GNWT and Housing NWT, in particular, is to understand these funding opportunities and how they can be maximized for the Northwest Territories for the benefit of the residents, Indigenous governments, and the GNWT. As has been stated previously, Housing NWT needs partnerships to address the housing crisis and that includes partnerships with both the Government of Canada and Indigenous governments as well as NGOs and other housing stakeholders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I look forward to hearing more about that engagement once it gets going.

Mr. Speaker, I know the previous Assembly also worked with Housing NWT to review their policies in an all-encompassing way. Can the Minister explain if Housing NWT is considering the contemporary issue of homelessness through the lens of the ongoing effects of colonialism given that Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in those experiencing a lack of housing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT did review policies related to homelessness and the disproportionate representation of Indigenous people experiencing homelessness in the 19th Assembly. One example of the changed included a homelessness assistance fund policy which now provides an extension for those requiring assistance more than once in their lifetime.

Approximately a year ago, the scoring criteria for public housing was adjusted to include a higher rate for those that are experiencing homelessness. We are currently reviewing other policies to see what changes are required and welcome any feedback Members may have. Under the Homelessness Strategy, other GNWT policies and processes will be reviewed with this important lens in mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I'm hoping maybe she could share some of that so we can give the feedback.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain what Housing NWT's relationship is in the day to day with NGOs who provide emergency shelter and transitional supportive housing to residents and whether any permanent funding arrangements or partnerships can be made between such organizations and Housing NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Member from Great Slave, two questions. Minister for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And from our perspective, we have a good working relationship with NGOs that provide emergency shelter and transitional supportive housing to residents. We are always looking for new funding opportunities both within and outside the GNWT and provide pathfinding support to these NGOs to access additional funding resources. Additionally, Housing NWT's staff regularly speak to the NGO staff related to other issues that they may have, including safety concerns and educational opportunities. When speaking to longer term or multi-year funding agreements, that is a question that requires an all of government response, not just Housing NWT. A Way Home recognizes the importance non-governmental partners have in addressing homelessness and specifically including measures to strengthen partnerships with this sector to ensure their sustainability and success.

In the business plan, Executive and Indigenous Affairs is committed to working to improve the relationship between the GNWT and NGOs and to working to better support the non-profit sector as a whole. There is much work to be done but we have reports like the 2023 advisory reports to build upon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Colleagues, we just went through 25 minutes of question and answer, and we've only gone through four people. Can you please keep your answers a little more succinct moving forward.

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

I got 34 minutes. Thank you. No, I just wanted to maybe just ask the Minister that Housing NWT, the funding from CMHC's going to end in 2038, I just want to know what the housing corporation's planning to do between now and then in terms of their plans to deal with this issue on the decline of budgets.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister from Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, yes, this is an issue that Housing NWT is concerned about. We have declining funding from CMHC. That's concerning. And basically this fund provides preventative maintenance on all houses across the North, Housing NWT units across the North. So in 2019-2022, Housing NWT entered into a multi-year bilateral funding agreement with CMHC that provided an ability to offset the annual decline of CMHC operating funding for the public housing program up to 2027-2028. Housing NWT will continue to work with the GNWT in engaging with the federal government on this important issue with the aim of securing long-term, sustainable funding certainty for the public housing program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

So with the information I've been provided, Housing NWT does not receive funding from CIRNAC every year. In the 2022-fiscal year, the federal government announced a two-year funding allocation for Housing NWT to invest in public housing. This budget announcement was separate from the funding announced as distinction-based funding for Indigenous governments for housing. Housing NWT was very pleased to see that the funding going to Indigenous governments to support the housing needs in the Northwest Territories. Moving forward, though, Housing NWT intends to work in partnership with Indigenous governments when talking to Canada about funding for housing needs. Housing NWT will continue to work with each Indigenous government to make determinations about roles and responsibilities. Not all Indigenous governments are interested in taking on public housing, and they see a continued role for Housing NWT in their regions. Housing NWT recognizes the need to work with Indigenous governments and take their lead in terms of their role with housing in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to working with the federal government to get more money for Indigenous governments to address their own housing needs? Thank you.

Housing NWT intends to work in partnership with Indigenous governments in advancing our mandate in priorities related to housing in Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, as mentioned earlier, we got ten homes provided in Lutselk'e, and we're having issues with lot development. I'm wondering if the Minister of Housing NWT could look at that so that we are able to address the housing needs in our small community of Lutselk'e. Thank you.