Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just bluntly, I want to say that we need more operations and maintenance funding for our public housing -- for our public housing units throughout the territory. But through our strategic renewal as well too, these issues are going to be addressed and it's going to provide us a further guideline on what we are going to be expecting in the months and the years to come as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for this question as well too. What I've come to understand is that we need homes throughout the Northwest Territories. We need a lot of homes. But also with our constant advocacy with the Indigenous governments, stakeholders throughout the Northwest Territories, with the federal government as well too, to put houses on the ground. Mr. Speaker, there's a huge difference. When we're looking at putting homes on the ground, we need to address the social impacts of that program delivery. We also need to provide adequate programming as well too to support our local -- our homeowners in our smaller communities for our seniors, for our youth, and for me, Mr. Speaker, that is the huge difference. But what is required throughout the Northwest Territories is we need more homes, and we need more houses on the ground. We need operational and maintenance funding. We need more money coming to the Northwest Territories. And by that, working with Indigenous governments, stakeholders, nonprofit organizations, we've seen a huge address to housing needs throughout the Northwest Territories with our work with the federal government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question as well too. You know, since I've had the housing portfolio, I've had the opportunity to travel to the majority of the communities throughout the Northwest Territories. I've met with the local housing authorities. I've met with the board of directors as well too. Also with the district offices to really thoroughly understand the housing delivery program right at the grassroots, right at the ground level, and what I was able to see and understand is that no, the local housing authorities are not adequately funded. And through that, we've created a housing strategy as well too where we are going to be identifying those impacts that we need to address. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as a part of the GNWT's commitment to address homelessness in the territory, Housing NWT offers several client-centered programs. Today I would like to highlight some of these programs as well as the investments we have made, since the beginning of the 19th Legislative Assembly, to support residents experiencing homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless.

Mr. Speaker, the Transitional Rent Supplementary Program was extended, and the funding was increased with a seamless application process to reduce barriers. In April 2021, this program evolved and is now called the Canada-NWT Housing Benefit Program, with half funded by the GNWT and the other half by the Government of Canada. In 2021, over 248 applicants accessed the program and is currently accepting applications with no waitlist.

Mr. Speaker, the Homelessness Assistance Fund is a one-time funded program to applicants up to a maximum of $3,000. This program is flexible and is available to assist in different types of ways to include utility arrears, private market rental arrears, damage deposits, first month's rent, or travel assistance to a community in which individuals are guaranteed housing. Since this program was first offered in 2009, Housing NWT has supported 746 individuals and families to remain in their homes. To date in this fiscal year, Housing NWT has approved 56 successful applicants supporting single adults, couples, and families.

Another program that supports people experiencing homelessness is the Shelter Enhancement Fund. It provides northern communities with funding to repair and improve existing shelters, supporting building upgrades and equipment purchases. Since 2017, Housing NWT has provided up to $750,000 to non-governmental organizations for emergency plumbing repairs, upgrades to electrical systems, security systems, fire alarms, and new flooring and roofs.

Mr. Speaker, it is only through this kind of partnership and the approach that the NWT will be successfully addressing the territory's housing concerns. The Small Community Homelessness Assistance Fund is another good example of partnership. It combines GNWT and community resources to develop innovative supports that help communities address homelessness in ways that make sense to them.

In the past four years, Housing NWT provided over $150,000 in funding to Indigenous governments and community partners. The Small Community Assistance Fund has supported several community projects including community engagements to reduce homelessness, the introduction of various community food programs, clothing and furniture banks, rent supplements, and vouchers for various essential goods and supplies.

Mr. Speaker, another program centered around partnership is the Northern Pathways to Housing program, targeting single adults experiencing homelessness. It provides clients with access to permanent supportive housing, rental assistance, and case management to maintain their housing. The purpose of this program is to move people out of homelessness and into a safe place to live while working with them one-on-one, living independently, maintaining their own home, and to address the issues that lead to their current situation. Northern Pathways is now operating in the communities of

• Behchoko, in partnership with the Friendship Centre;
• Fort Simpson, in partnership with the Liidlii Kue First Nation;
• In Aklavik, in partnership with the Aklavik Indian Band; and
• In Fort Good Hope, with the Kasho Got'ine Housing Society.

Northern Pathways to Housing works with partners to provide wraparound supports to stabilize our housing clients.

Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT supports seven emergency shelters throughout the Northwest Territories. We funded emergency overnight shelters in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Inuvik, and Fort Good Hope, and work with community partners to provide emergency housing for those most in need. As part of Housing NWT's renewal, the public housing intake application has been redesigned to include the social factor points for individuals experiencing homelessness as part of the point rating system. It now considers an applicant's housing history, looking specifically at periods where an individual has been unsheltered, emergency accommodations are needed or provisionally accommodated.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT continues to move forward with the housing stability worker pilot program, which started in Behchoko in the fall of 2018. This strength-based program provides direct support to public housing tenants at risk of eviction through a client-centered approach to improve tenancy practices and work towards the household goals. The Tlicho government is working with Housing NWT to build on this program.

Mr. Speaker, these homelessness programs and partnerships are key to helping the most vulnerable residents and improving housing outcomes for Northerners. Housing NWT recognizes that there is still a long way to go in terms of helping all residents reach their housing goals. We are proud to be working towards putting these goals to reach many Northerners. We will continue to listen, build, and work with our partners and stakeholders to address homelessness in the NWT.

I would like to thank the commitment and creativity of Housing NWT staff for taking the direction and initiative to create housing programs to best house and support the needs for the people of the Northwest Territories. Your time and effort have been greatly appreciated. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome today Aidan Widow, grade 9, and Colby Campbell Modeste, grade 8; both from Tulita, and they're here to support us while we're doing our proceedings this week. And hopefully we inspire future politicians. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, with the new year ahead of us, I am pleased to highlight the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission's new strategic plan, Paths Towards Safety 2023-2027, which is available for everyone to view on the WSCC's website. This document, along with the ongoing input from employers, partners, and workers, will guide the Commission's work over the next five years. Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission's mission is to promote workplace health and safety while providing no-fault insurance to employers and care for injured workers. The new strategic plan provides a roadmap of how the WSCC will move forward by identifying the short-, medium-, and long-term goals during the five-year strategic cycle.

WSCC's three priority areas are:

• Advancing safety outcomes to eliminate workplace disease and injuries. WSCC has an ongoing commitment to support safe workplaces, to continuously raise awareness of safety rights and responsibilities of both workers and employers, and to prevent and reduce workplace accidents and injuries.
• Delivering quality services by enhancing processes and empowering staff to provide timely, accessible, understandable, effective, and culturally safe services and clear communication to northerners. Quality services incorporate WSCC's organizational values of respect, engagement, integrity, openness, cultural safety, excellence, and stewardship, are a foundation of our mission. And,
• Ensuring financial sustainability so that every injured worker is cared for now and into the future. The WSCC maintains the workers' protection fund, which covers injured worker claims costs by using a fiscally responsible funding mechanism that is fair to all employers.

A high level of transparency, accountability, and engagement is critical to the success of the Commission's work. Each section of this plan describes the performance measures that shows progress. WSCC will use these measures to guide their annual corporate planning process and to report on progress each year.

There is no single path to achieve the WSCC's vision to eliminate workplace disease and injury. However, Paths Towards Safety represents that many different approaches that they take to make workplaces safer every day, as well as the diverse paths many employers across all communities in the Northwest Territories take to improve the safety culture at each worksite. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once this criteria is established, I would like to -- it to identify how are we going to be charging rent within public housing as well too. Currently we do have an income threshold. And I'm looking at the fairness throughout the Northwest Territories. If we have businesses that are established in the public housing units -- I'm just trying to slow down. I kind of feel for the interpreters as well, my apologies. And how we could fairly look at the calculation of rent compared to what those businesses and those operations are like. But then also considering that we do have an income threshold. But I would like to work with our tenants. I would like to see success in our smaller communities and to be more innovative and be working with our people throughout the territory. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working with Education, Culture and Employment and looking at child care to be offered in -- child care businesses to be offered in public housing. We are going through establishing that policy right now. We will be working towards policies to acknowledge the businesses as well too. That would be forthcoming. But it's something that I'm very much supportive of. I do understand that in smaller communities that we need to start doing things differently. We need to start working with our tenants and our clients differently as well too and looking at those home-based businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Housing NWT has went through an extensive review of their policies. We have went out and completed consultation amongst our employees throughout the Northwest Territories, Indigenous governments, the stakeholders. I'm looking at the date to have those policies available April 1st of this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.