Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, as we conclude deliberations on the 2025-2026 Main Estimates, I want to recognize the work of Members in shaping this budget. And through collaboration, note that we are making additional strategic investments that reflect the priority of this Assembly and the needs of Northerners.
One of the most significant outcomes of our discussions, Mr. Chair, is that there is a commitment here being made to support housing. We will be introducing a $41.6 million supplementary appropriation for Housing Northwest Territories in 2025-2026 to make critical investments in public housing. This funding responds directly to the priorities set by the 20th Legislative Assembly to improve suitability, accessibility, and affordability of housing across the Northwest Territories.
In addition, we are committing a total of $50 million per year for the next two years, ensuring a long-term and sustainable plan to help modernize and replace aging public housing. In making this commitment, we are cognizant that we are living in a time where businesses are worried in a climate of tariffs, tariff threats, and financial uncertainty. Housing Northwest Territories already has innovative partnerships with Northwest Territories Indigenous governments and businesses and this commitment can help deepen and build upon them. This three-year commitment supports a plan that we believe can be delivered for Northerners by Northerners.
We are also addressing concerns about elders in public housing. Housing Northwest Territories will develop a strategy and a policy to forgive arrears and stop garnishment of elders, ensuring that this is in place before the 2025-2026 debt forgiveness period.
Additionally, we will be restoring $100,000 in funding for the 2025-2026 for the Family Violence Shelter Network and would note that in accordance with its new role as the GNWT lead for nongovernment support, this funding will move to the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs. Over 2025-2026, EIA will be engaging other nongovernment organizations and Indigenous organizations in order to explore how to best align available funding to address the needs of vulnerable populations, including those experiencing intimate personal violence -- intimate partner violence.
On the issue of community learning centres, Mr. Chair, we all acknowledge that CLC facilities have been important hubs for education, for training, and for community-based programs, and the Minister of ECE has committed to working with Indigenous governments and community organizations to ensure that residents will continue to have access to quality adult education and employment programs building off the successes of individual communities that individual communities may have seen within the existing CLC programs. A timeline for this work will be provided before the end of the May sitting.
I will speak further and further opportunity upon the location of an appropriation bill being introduced about the process of concluding this budget and on the broader direction that we are taking with these changes. But for now, Mr. Chair, I do want to thank Members for their contributions. This budget is, again, a product of the consensus process and together we are advancing these meaningful investments for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.