Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From data that we have compiled since January, there are approximately 270 households making a significant amount of money, about $5,000 a month. Our local housing organizations are working with some of these owners, the ones that are in higher incomes, to explore home ownership and support options with our department to see how we can address those.

On the other note, we do have a unit disposal plan, where we have sold about 20 units in 2018-2019. We have also demolished 20 units across the territory where we can build new units, whether it is public housing that needs...

The action plan in the document Toward Level Ground lists a number of housing programs and initiatives that I have brought up and that previous Housing Ministers have brought up during the life of this government to address the housing issues. We continue to work on that. We want to create partnerships with other leadership across the territories and our stakeholders and NGOs, and the GNWT has made a commitment to assist 250 core need households every year during this period. We have been meeting those targets, and we have been giving that information to committee. We will continue to do that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As committee is well aware, we have had discussions in committee on where we are with this funding. We are developing a three-year action plan, and we did say and committed that we would share that action plan with the committee. We can work on providing where we are with that action plan and the partnerships that we have with CMHC. As committee is aware, we did have some committee members come to Inuvik for the Housing Summit, and we did also hear other innovative ideas and other ways that we can address the housing issue in the Northwest Territories.

We will look at...

At this time, I don't have a timeline. Coming out of the Housing Summit, we are developing a report that we are going to share with our leadership, that we are going to share with our stakeholders, and that we are going to work with people who came to the Housing Summit. That is a priority, everything that came out of the Housing Summit, where we had leaders from 24 of our communities across the Northwest Territories. We want to make sure that we know what the next steps are. At this moment, we don't have a timeline, but we will look into that research. That is something that we are committed...

As I mentioned, I was really appreciative that standing committee was able to attend the Housing Summit in Inuvik and listen to some of the concerns that were brought up, whether it was by industry, whether it was by leadership, or whether it was by non-government organizations. We do know that accessing home insurance can be challenging and very costly in some of our communities. However, I would just like Members, residents, and our groups to know that insurance costs are established by insurance providers, and we do not have the ability to adjust those rates, Mr. Speaker.

However, as noted...

We did make a commitment that we would look at trying to demolish and sell units, about 50 a year, and we are reaching and going over those targets. As we develop these community plans with leadership and people in the community, that is something that we are going to have to address. We don't want to be the ones who tell communities what they need and what they want. It has to be a responsibility between leadership from the communities and us, working together, as I mentioned, to address the housing priorities; and yes, we will be making that a priority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Since April 1, 2016, we have been working on trying to make a commitment to dispose of 150 units. Currently, to date, we have disposed of 183 surplus units though a combination of sales, getting people into homeownership or lease-to-own, and also through demolition. That is something that we are going to continue to work on with feedback from communities and working with standing committee. We will continue to do that work.

As I mentioned, the community housing plans are something that is unique, and I think, when we work with leadership and communities, that they can tell us what their...

I know that we have been making some good changes within the NWT Housing Corporation. We will get that data for the Member, and we will actually share it with standing committee. I think it is something that we need to share right across the board. The Housing Summit that we just held in late April is something that was also brought up, and we really need to share and develop partnerships with our leadership in the communities and see how we can address the issues. We will get that information, that data, and share it with all Members and leadership. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As the Member knows, and we did have a chat a little bit earlier, there has been an increase in terms of public housing. It could be due to the economy; we don't know. I know that people who go into market rental units do have to get on the waiting list for housing. We can get that information and share it with the Member, share it with committee, so that we can look at how we can address the issues.

One positive thing, Mr. Speaker, is that we are doing these community housing plans and that should look at the priorities for each community across the Northwest Territories. As the Member noted...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sun is shining very brightly today, and I would like to recognize one of my constituents, Judy McLeod. It's always a pleasure to see you here at the Legislative Assembly supporting our Deputy Premier. I also would like to take the opportunity recognize Jimmy Kalinek, who has been a very strong supporter of cultural and traditional programs in Inuvik, but also has started up a very strong tourism operation with the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway opening up. Welcome, Judy. Welcome, Jimmy.