Caroline Cochrane

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The building that we're talking about was sold, actually, by the NWT Housing Corporation on August 6, 2015. At that time, it did include both the land and the building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The building actually was zoned as an institutional building which limits the usage and so we had very few people that were interested in purchasing it. We had tried to go to the community. We had offered it to other departments. Selling of the building is actually one of the last recourses, so the price that we did actually sell it for was negotiated with the buyer after being on the market and Coldwell Banker which is our normal real estate firm. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In 2011, actually, the Housing Corporation had a formal appraisal done of the building and the land.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize two members of the NWT Status of Women Council. As you stated, Violet Camsell-Blondin and Georgina Jacobson Masuzumi, who is the president of the Status of Women. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I don't actually know exactly where we are in Tsiigehtchic with that modular unit, I will have to take notice of the Member's statement, thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following 11 documents entitled "GNWT Response to Motion 19-18(2): Addressing Core Housing Needs in the NWT," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 17-18(2): Arctic Winter Games Application Process," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 179-18(2): Highway Rescue Services," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 181-18(2): 911 Emergency Telephone Services," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 183-18(2): Hamlet of Fort McPherson Financial Status," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 199-18(2): Allocation of Lottery Proceeds," "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 209-18(2)...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point I would say that that would not be a very good recommendation; my concern would be is that we set people up. If we were to put them in temporary residences and rent places, people then get accustomed. This is their home, they get very comfortable, and then when their surplus for the local housing organization runs out, then they're kicked out in the street. So I don't think that is a very viable solution.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to try to address that as concisely as I can although it's quite a loaded question. There is a huge waiting list for people for housing within the Northwest Territories, it's like 600 families at a minimum at this point, so it is a substantial number of people and it is a high priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories.

What we're doing about it is federally we're meeting with the federal minister. There is actually going to be an FPT meeting at the end of this month. We have been advocating strongly. All three territories have advocated strongly...

The direction that we have given the local housing organizations is that they are to come to us with their suggestions on how they are going to deal with the surpluses. So, again, out of respect for the process that we've already put it on the table and asked them to present to us, then I think at this point it would be inappropriate for me to go back on them and demand what we want to see. So I would be more than eager to see what they are going to present to us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

For quite a few Legislative Assemblies actually there has been a stall on building new units, public housing units. I have not personally spoken to those Ministers so I cannot actually say what their reasoning was for that. My intuition, my gut is telling me, though, that they did put a hold on it because of the declining funding in the operating and maintenance for the CMHC which will dissolve in 2038. So as part of that, I am looking at strategies to address that so that we can actually increase our public housing stock. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.