Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I wonder if the Minister can explain more about the plans and timelines for potentially expanding this pilot to other communities to be able to share some of the successes and lessons learned. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one thing we are doing currently is with our Build Canada Homes proposal is -- we're hoping that this would be a big part of the proposal is how we build in community but have that mechanical core system as a big part of our design. So I know right now with our 48-unit modular build, we're lending that throughout the territory. And these will be modular homes that are being built in Hay River. We're also having modular homes being built in Fort Good Hope, modular homes built with the Tlicho Development Corporation. But with the Deline hybrid design, it lends to communities actually constructing homes around a mechanical core system. Because we're finding that mechanical core systems are the most difficult of any housing build, so this is something that we're hoping we'd have throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to continue questions to the housing Minister. I spoke to the needs assessment today, and that's what I will be asking about, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister detail how she will be using the housing -- the newly -- excuse me, let me start again -- how she will be using the newly released needs assessment to approach the federal government for funding. Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This territorial housing needs assessment is going to provide an evidence-based platform to submit to the federal government with our Build Canada Homes proposal. So we'll provide a proposal. Most of the proposal is accepted online, and we're going to load the territorial housing needs assessment to add to our Build Canada Homes proposal. But also in our negotiations with the federal government, we'll provide them the territorial housing needs assessment. And again, it provides evidence. It provides the need across the Northwest Territories to our application. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I am pleased to hear that. And I have one constituent in particular who will be very pleased to hear that we're going to the federal government with an ask for housing, and I will make sure to relay that to them.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister detail for us how territorial funding planning is going to occur? Knowing the difference that this House has been able to make with the $150 million commitment we got, are we going to continue that legacy and plan for territorial investment alongside federal investment to address the needs of the territory? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it's important in the negotiation with Build Canada Homes that Build Canada Homes is looking for an investment. It's looking for a 50/50 investment. So our government, Government of the Northwest Territories, we need to negotiate a proposal for Build Canada Homes, then we'd come back to the government and discuss the details around that proposal. But that would be part of our investment, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought for a second I was going to get cut off there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate hearing the Minister note that territorial investment is going to be involved as well. I want us to be stepping up just as much as the feds, Mr. Speaker, although it would be great if the feds stepped up even a little bit more.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister just detail to us -- or for us, how did we get to the number of up to 2,700 homes? It's a huge number. Can the Minister help us understand what was involved in developing that number and getting to that defined number as the true need of housing in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a really good question. That's the first thing I thought when I read the territorial housing needs assessment, how did we get to a number of up to 2,700 homes when our waitlist is only 800 homes. Only. That's a lot of homes. But it comprises of the waitlist. It also comprises of the 2024 community survey and looking at the bureau of statistics. That work's being done with the bureau of statistics. Also with the UBC's HART model, the housing assessment resource tool, they use the HART model to look at suppressed households. So that's really important to understand, is in many of our communities we have suppressed households. We have sometimes parents and grandparents and great-grandparents all living within one household. So that's suppressed households, and that's added to the overall territorial housing needs assessment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last month I had the chance to meet with the Minister of housing and -- housing Minister to discuss the Dene Nation establishing an office to coordinate an Indigenous-led submission to Build Canada Homes. During that meeting, the Minister raised her concerns about the Dene Nation. My question is to the Minister, why is the Minister did not meet with the Dene national chief to discuss the Build Canada Homes program with the Dene Nation? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I am not the federal government, I am not the one handing out the Build Canada Homes funding. But, absolutely, when we had a meeting with MLA Edjericon about Build Canada Homes, I encouraged the MLA to provide a proposal, work with the Akaitcho chiefs and provide a proposal at the regional level for Build Canada Homes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why will the Minister not work with the Dene Nation instead of describe it as merely a political body without rights when it represents thousands of Indigenous people who do have rights? And by representing so many communities, they are uniquely suited to advocate according to the federal government as a collective. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a Minister of this government, I am responsible to work with rights-based organizations in this territory. And I've never said that I am not willing to work with Dene Nation to have these conversations, but I encourage the Member to work with the Akaitcho chiefs to provide a Build Canada Homes proposal with the Akaitcho chiefs. And if he's interested, we could provide that support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Build Canada Homes presents a real opportunity to begin building Indigenous housing capacity now. Why is the Minister choosing to delay that work, especially when Housing NWT federal funding is set to end next decade, and pursuant to the UNDRIP Implementation Act, the transfer of housing capacity and decision-making to Indigenous governments is already behind schedule? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the work around housing and our territorial housing needs assessment shows the -- is a big indicator of the work we have to do over the next number of years. And I think that me as a Minister and with this Cabinet, we are pushing forward and there's a lot of support around housing and a lot of support around small, remote communities. As an MLA for Nunakput,it's really important that we deliver, especially in homes in our communities. And I see it every day. I see it when I go home. And that's the life I live, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister responsible for NWT Housing. Oral questions. Member from the Dehcho.

Thank you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the housing Minister.

Can the Minister explain why the STEP program was discontinued and whether Housing NWT is prepared to reinstate as part of its supports for prospective and current homeowners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Dehcho. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.