Can I clarify those numbers I just heard? We spent $6.5 million on administration, and then the remainder of the $32 million is actually direct payments to clients? Is that correct?
Rylund Johnson

Roles
In the Legislative Assembly
Elsewhere
Crucial Fact
- His favourite word was know.
Last in the Legislative Assembly October 2023, as MLA for Yellowknife North
Won his last election, in 2019, with 36% of the vote.
Statements in the House
Question 86-19(2): Administration of Income Assistance Programs February 25th, 2020
Question 86-19(2): Administration of Income Assistance Programs February 25th, 2020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. My question is: for every dollar we currently spend providing income assistance, how much do we spend in administration?
Question 83-19(2): Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project February 25th, 2020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems I failed to get a single "yes" once again. Have we committed to providing our 25 percent should the CMHC change their decision and approve this? We said earlier that we support the project, but if we have not committed to providing the financial support, I don't understand how we can say we support the project. My question is: have we committed to both CMHC and the Yellowknife Women's Society that we will provide our 25 percent if the CMHC brings their 75 percent to the table?
Question 83-19(2): Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project February 25th, 2020
Once again, we seem to force the Yellowknife Women's Society to do all of the work, and we are not in a position to help them or assist them. My question is: have we committed to providing our 25 percent, our $680,000 if that application is approved?
Question 83-19(2): Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project February 25th, 2020
This is exactly the problem we run into. In the real world, real estate transactions have deadlines, and they can't fit into tight, bureaucratic processes. Therefore, there is a political will for this project to happen. Will the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation contact CMHC and clarify that we support this project?
Question 83-19(2): Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project February 25th, 2020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In listening to the responses from the Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation regarding the Arnica project, it is clear the Minister does not understand the situation. The current agreement to purchase expires on March 31st. The CMHC turnaround time on a re-application is 300 days, Mr. Speaker. This project cannot go forward on a re-application. My question is: will the Minister contact the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and ask them to change their rejection of this project?
Arnica Inn Transitional Housing Project February 25th, 2020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am also going to hop on this train. The Arnica Inn: an example of how not to govern. By my count, every single Yellowknife MLA and my colleague beside me supported this project. During the election, the City of Yellowknife supported this project. In fact, I don't remember talking to a single person opposed to this project. Then, once we get elected, this project seemingly does not go through because the GNWT did not support it.
Furthermore, I find out that we don't support this project due to the mayor and the executive director of the women's society informing me, and CMHC ultimately informing them. This was a clear breakdown in communication, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation is a Crown corporation. It is supposed to be arm's length from government, but it is not supposed to be arm's length from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. It is not supposed to be arm's length from democratically elected Members of this legislature.
Mr. Speaker, I struggle to know why this occurred. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, but I believe that there is a larger problem here. Our NWT Housing Corporation is extremely risk adverse. They are so afraid of the 2038 deadline on losing funding from CMHC that they fail to put new units on the ground. We speak of partnerships. We speak of ending homelessness, and this was a project that checked all of those boxes, Mr. Speaker.
We need a Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation who has a bold vision, who is willing to take the risks, and is willing to address our housing crisis.
It is now the responsibility of that Minister to repair the relationship with the Members who supported this project, to repair the relationship with the women's society, to repair the relationship with the City of Yellowknife, and most importantly, to give some hope to our most vulnerable citizens who, on the streets of Yellowknife, who come from all across this territory, that they will have housing, that there is some plan in place that ultimately addresses this.
Mr. Speaker, from where I was standing and where I stand now, this project made complete sense. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Motion 3-19(2): Extended adjournment of the House to February 25, 2020, Carried February 13th, 2020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the motion that I gave notice of previously to allow us to take next week off, to allow Members to return to their constituencies.
I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 13, 2020, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, February 25, 2020;
AND FURTHER, that, any time prior to February 25, 2020, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 73-19(2): Integrated Case Management February 13th, 2020
I look forward to seeing those recommendations. Hopefully, we can get some of the knowledge that the integrated case management has gained to actually gain traction in the larger systemic changes. My understanding of this project is that it dates back to about 2014 and it ran to the 2020 program evaluation as a pilot project. Then we ran it again as a pilot project, which is just coming to an end. Can the Minster provide what the future of the integrated case management pilot project is? Is it going to become a program? Where are we with that?
Question 73-19(2): Integrated Case Management February 13th, 2020
I look forward to receiving that report. One of my concerns is that, during the 2017 evaluation, the integrated case management unit raised the issue that they have had many person-centered successes, but they have not had successes with the other half of the program, which is to change larger system services. In this report that the Minister of Justice has referred to, will there be recommendations for changes to legislation and policy in all of the departments that the integrated case management works with?