Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And it's such an emotional day. It's our last day. The four years we've made complete history in the Northwest Territories and within Canada. I don't want to make this a Member's statement, but I want to recognize Bernice Neyally is here, of Deline. You give me a lot of strength with you being here. And just knowing what you've been through in the last year. Thank you so much for being here as well. It means a lot.

I want to thank also my staff. My staff, my strength, my pillars, they've seen me through so much. They've supported me professionally, emotionally. They've been my cheerleaders. Thank you to Kevin Whitehead who had joined me about a year ago. Great skills. Somebody to strongly rely on. Larissa Stewart for getting me ready, getting me organized every day. But when I first started this position, I did have a different team. I don't know if Heather Neykako is in the audience and Jean Yuris. When I first had started the portfolio, the strength from these ladies, extraordinary. And to get me prepared every single day, reading 800 pages a night, getting briefed constantly, and all of a sudden my brain can't even fill that capacity but then you learn how to speed read. I remember the Premier telling me that's a skill you got to learn, learn that basically overnight with -- you just had to.

And also, I just wanted to acknowledge that as Minister I tried to make the position available to people in small communities. I tried to give them the experience because working in this Legislative Assembly, it's pretty much based on who you know to work in the Minister's seat. I want to thank Joelene Menacho of Tulita, and I want to Felicia Bavard of Norman Wells. Both came up from the Sahtu office to come and support and maintain my desk while my employees were off on leave.

And also, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Natasha Takazo who was my constituent assistant as well too, that has been supporting me for the past couple of years. We've seen a lot happen in the region. There has just been extraordinary events that have happened in this last four years. But, also, Mr. Speaker, I need to acknowledge my constituent assistants that had worked for me. Like I said, I tried to make the opportunity available for everybody to be included in this position. Erin Goose of Norman Wells, Donna Erutse of Fort Good Hope, Les Baton of Deline, Sandra T'selle of Fort Good Hope, and Carrie Campbell of Norman Wells. I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting me and making this position as strong as we're able to make it become. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my statement yesterday, over the last four years I have consistently advocated to the federal government for funding to address housing needs across the Northwest Territories. This advocacy resulted in a significant expansion of the capital delivery program for the Northwest Territories.

Since the 18th Legislative Assembly, an extraordinary annual capital delivery plan of approximately $136 million in this 19th Legislative Assembly in the 2023-2024 fiscal year alone. This annual capital delivery plan will include the construction and repair of approximately 500 housing units.

The capital delivery program in the 19th Legislative Assembly included a commitment to build an additional 100 new homes for the public housing program which are all either completed or under construction in the current fiscal year. The 100-unit public housing expansion represents the largest increase in public housing units that the territory has seen in decades, with units being built in communities across the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier this week, even though significant schedule disruptions caused by evacuations from floods and fire to low water levels affecting barging season and throughout various supply chains distribute the 100 units, rollout is still on track for construction in the 2023-2024 fiscal year as originally planned.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the 100-unit delivery over my term as Minister, Housing NWT has invested over $29 million in homeownership programming that has assisted numerous private homeowners across our territory with the purchase and repair of these homes, as well as providing much needed programming to assist seniors aging in place.

With the funding, NWT homeowners will be able to address needed home repairs before they became much more extensive and costly. Over this timeline, a further $50 million was invested by Housing NWT to repair projects to preserve and maintain Housing NWT's existing housing stock.

We have supported new construction and renovation projects for approximately 100 senior units throughout the Northwest Territories and provided 1,012 senior applicants across the Northwest Territories with funding to improve their homes and support aging in place at the beginning of my term as Minister as well.

Over the past four years, Housing NWT has provided 1,018 residents with support for emergency repairs, 198 residents with funding to support fuel tank replacements. 1,510 residents have accessed our prevention and maintenance program, allowing homeowners to do minor servicing and repairs, dealing with issues before they become more costly.

To support small communities in developing skilled trades, Housing NWT has leveraged every opportunity to help build and maintain this capacity to ensure the success of apprenticeship programs. Housing NWT introduced a requirement in 2020 for general contractors to hire at least one NWT apprenticeship in the new construction contracts. Since this time, Housing NWT's new construction contracts have supported 47 apprenticeship assignments. Housing NWT has also continued to work closely with local housing organizations to provide up to 12 apprenticeship within their staffing to support them each.

To further promote the increase of employment and skills development opportunities in small communities, Housing NWT, in their negotiated contracts with Indigenous governments and businesses seeking to build capacity Since the beginning of the 19th Legislative Assembly. Housing NWT has entered nine negotiated contracts increasing regional capacity in the residential construction sector across the Northwest Territories. These negotiated contracts have resulted in Indigenous governments, businesses, and contractors developing innovative programs to attract, develop, and retain northern workers to meet the commitments set out in our negotiated contract proposals and defined within our communities.

Mr. Speaker, inspired by Housing NWT's commitment to renewed ways of working together, Indigenous governments have had opportunities to participate in planning, design, site selection, and have been engaged in numerous construction contract opportunities. Over the life of this government, we continue to ensure that Indigenous governments are informed about current and upcoming delivery plans and continue to be engaged in key initiatives such as developing community housing plans. These partnerships help to ensure the local housing priorities and needs are considered during the planning process.

Mr. Speaker, while I have highlighted some of the government's housing successes, I want to be clear that this was not done without any difficulty. As I mentioned, the last four years have presented extraordinary challenges for the residential construction sector including disruptions with the material supply chain, the movement of skilled labour between construction sites, and the rising of fuel costs and construction material costs. The reality for remote communities have been even more challenging, which has required a high degree of creativity on our end.

I am so proud of the efforts of Housing NWT staff, Indigenous governments, partners at the community level who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, the natural disasters, and the supply chain issues to support our work of building a better tomorrow for the Northwest Territories. I would like to thank the staff of housing for their continued creativity to enhance programming and to address our housing crisis. While I am celebrating the construction of 100 new public housing units and supports that have been provided, I want to emphasize to my colleagues and residents of the NWT that there is still more work to do to sustain these successes.

Housing NWT will promote a culture of participation, innovation, and continuous improvement well beyond the lifetime of this 19th Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to acknowledge Tom Williams, who was a former president of the Housing NWT, and former Minister Alfred Moses who held this portfolio in the last Assembly. Mr. Speaker, respectfully, I tried to carry their legacy forward and working with the people of the Northwest Territories and also enhancing our Indigenous file and working with the people at the local community level. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Follow-up Letter for Oral Questions 1593-19(2): Housing and 1600-19(2): Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I just -- I want to correct the Member as well too. I don't want to say we're offloading units to Indigenous governments and to the smaller communities. These are business partnerships that we've engaged in conversation. The community is interested in some of our units. They want the unit transferred. And I am about working in partnership. Housing cannot solve the housing crisis on its own. We need the Indigenous governments at the table as well too.

And, Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that looking at what we've done so far, we've had a number of engagements throughout the Northwest Territories in addressing housing differently. If we're looking at repairing fuel tanks, if we're looking at repairing stairs, we do have a community housing initiative program there that the communities can apply to. Housing has been very active throughout this government, and I commend the work that housing has been doing. And there's -- believe me, there's a lot of work that still needs to be done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. I just want to reiterate $600 million is here in the Northwest Territories for housing. Housing has travelled into the surrounding communities as well. We have established our community housing plans, which engages every single community in the Northwest Territories and looking at what their specific housing needs are. Right now in the Member's riding, Enterprise has completed their housing plan. Kakisa is in progress. And K'atlodeeche is completed. Fort Providence has not yet begun. And the reasoning for these community housing plans is a direct communication document between us and the federal government as well, Mr. Speaker.

And I want to say that within this portfolio, I've had several trips to Ottawa to specifically meet with Minister Vandal, Minister Hussen, and just recently Minister Shawn Fraser, and looking at the drastic needs for housing in the Northwest Territories. I feel that we've done significantly well throughout the North and working with Indigenous governments, also creating the Council of Leaders housing working table. Just want to say $600 million that has never been established in any of the years of this government and as long as we've existed. The last time we had a replenishment of housing units, Mr. Speaker, was in the 1970s. We made great progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member, and I wish I got that information as well too. I wish we had the direct contact that as soon as those federal programs are announced that we would be first on their list for them to contact. But unfortunately, we're not. So that's why the position was created so they can provide that communication between myself and the CMHC and Canada to work with the Northwest Territories so we know what programs are out there and what programs we actually can apply for. But to date, we have received funding directly to Housing NWT and then also to the Indigenous governments.

In my earlier statements, there is $600 million throughout the Northwest Territories that has been allocated to Indigenous governments with working with housing, with the federal government, in order for us to put houses on the ground. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for asking the question as well too. Within the housing portfolio, I did create a position that was specifically -- would conduct the engagement between the Indigenous governments and the communities as well, and to be working with us, the stakeholders, NGOs, so they would have an opportunity to apply for federal funding. To date, we have been quite successful. There has been 17 applications throughout the Northwest Territories. And one of them had actually been submitted by the Member's riding, the Deh Gah Gotie Nation. They're receiving $4.8 million to construct 18 units and to be also looking at six duplexes from Housing NWT, and we'd be looking at transferring the six units over to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize two pages from the Sahtu. Jaylen Gaudet and Nevah Takazo.

And also I'd like to recognize the interpreters for the Sahtu, Therese Etchinelle and Sarah Cleary. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, as housing Minister, one of my main goals was to strengthen and develop partnerships and relationships. Now, as we come to the end of this Legislative Assembly, it is evident that partnerships have played a crucial role in our success. One of our most important relationships, of course, is with the Government of Canada. We have a number of programs and new projects that would not be possible without this partnership.

Mr. Speaker, in the past four years I have met with federal Minister Hussen, Minister responsible for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion; and Minister Vandal, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on several occasions, most recently with the new Minister responsible for Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, Minister Sean Fraser. I have also engaged on several occasions with the Northwest Territories Member of Parliament Michael McLeod and Member of Parliament, Mr. Chad Collins who is the chair of the national housing caucus.

Mr. Speaker, it is through these engagements with federal officials that we have the opportunity to outline and highlight the need for federal support to improve the housing situation.

Housing NWT staff have also been very engaged with their colleagues in the federal government, and it is through these partnerships that we have been very successful in securing resources for the North.

Mr. Speaker, as Minister responsible for Housing NWT, I am proud to say that through our partnership and relationships over the life of the 19th Legislative Assembly, over $600 million in federal funding has been announced to support housing priorities across the Northwest Territories.

We recently announced another partnership project with the City of Yellowknife at the Aspen Apartments. Through this partnership with the city and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Housing NWT has a budget of approximately $5 million under the cities stream of CMHC's Rapid Housing 3 Initiative for safety upgrades and other required renovations. This project allows Housing NWT to acquire and modernize the Aspen Apartments, a 36-unit building, which will further increase our number of owned public housing units in Yellowknife while freeing up leased units for private market rental needs.

Approximately a year ago, Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT assumed full ownership of the Nordic Arms apartment building in Yellowknife. With assistance from Canada, we were able to complete necessary upgrades and other renovations for the building so that public housing tenants could move in safely.

Housing NWT has worked hard over the life of this government to increase its stock of quality, energy-efficient, and affordable housing for those most in need. With the Aspen Apartments and Nordic Arms, these buildings, Housing NWT is delivering its commitment to be innovative and provide sustainability.

In addition to these projects, we are also supporting the low-income households through the Canada-NWT's housing benefit, a monthly subsidy up to $800 for families to cover rental costs. Any household paying more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent can receive this benefit with the eligibility being able to stay in the program for up to two years.

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-NWT housing benefit is entering its third year, and I cannot speak highly enough of this program. Housing NWT's mandate is to increase the well-being of individuals and communities by providing fair access to quality housing supports for people who need it the most. The Canada-NWT housing benefit just does this by providing much-needed financial assistance to house people who are otherwise unable to afford it. Our staff have heard very positive feedback from community members who have accessed this funding. It is programming that allows residents to breathe at ease and save a little bit more.

Mr. Speaker, the accomplishments outlined today are only some of the most recent announcements of federal investment made over the life of this government. I am encouraged that through both mine and the department's partnership with the federal government and our colleagues throughout Canada, we have prioritized the Northwest Territories' housing needs and delivered by approving a wide range of projects under the National Co-investment Program, the Rapid Housing Program, and the Reaching Home Program.

Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT acknowledges and celebrates how much this government and the Government of Canada has prioritized our housing needs as we continue to advocate for further supports through our recommendations to enhance and allocate funding through the national housing strategy and the urban renewal and northern Indigenous housing strategies that are being led by the federal government.

Mr. Speaker, during my conversations with the federal Ministers, I have made it clear that we would also be in support of funding going directly to Indigenous governments to support Indigenous housing for the North. And as outlined previously this session, this was indeed a huge success.

Mr. Speaker, this is significant federal funding that will continue to support and to increase affordable housing units throughout the North, additional market housing units, and repair opportunities also for private homeowners. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.