Tom Beaulieu

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about homelessness in the NWT. Last year the City of Yellowknife released a comprehensive strategy paper titled "Yellowknife's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness." The plan contains many facts and figures regarding chronic homelessness issues that are facing all of the NWT, not only Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some of these key findings in the 70-page city plan, which includes topics such as migration, urbanization, rural homelessness, housing market trends, and housing needs, among others.

Mr. Speaker, the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I noticed that, under the transitional rent supp, there was a certain amount used at one point and then the budget was brought to a certain level. Has the Minister been able to get all of this money out the door? Is this budget fully utilized in the Territorial Rent Supplement Program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Minister could advise the House if the homelessness assistance fund is fully utilized? Same page, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we shouldn't be compared to other jurisdictions at all. There are jurisdictions where it is common, right across entire provinces, to have 70 per cent employment rates across the provinces. In addition to that, the social housing program is designed for divestment, and it is targeted to divesting in the provinces, which is easy to do. There are many jobs down there. People are able to take over their public housing.

This government is initially trying to divest some units right now, 60 units, in fact, and now we are going to make it even more difficult for...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, is the vice president saying that the tenants will be paying their full power, full residential rates, as all living in residences? Does that mean they're paying their power from now moving forward as of 2018-2019? Thank you. Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm at page 377. I have a question on the electrical power. I noticed that power first dropped by $1.6 million and then another drop now by $700,000. I'm wondering if that's because the Housing Corporation is moving to more user pay. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is certainly a big issue. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if there is an actual budget put in place to address the homelessness identified in the report. I'm looking about a holistic type of approach here in trying to resolve the issue. What I'm hearing and what I know from my own history of just being a Northerner is that homelessness is not necessarily an inventory issue. I'd like to ask the Minister if they're doing things to try to get people into homes and homes that actually already exist. Thank you.

It appears in the report that talks about all of the reasons for homelessness and maybe addressing homelessness should be to resolve those issues, but it sounds like the Minister is telling me that they're putting things in place here that I'm not sure that it addresses the homelessness anywhere other than sobering up the people on the streets, maybe, if we're talking about the sobering centre.

I'd like to ask the Minister if there are homes being built in other communities to address homelessness on that report. When she mentions that there are homes being built in other communities, are those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In order to do that, we must look at homelessness from a broader perspective, meaning we must address its root causes, which will require years of work, yet an effective response can go a long way to working to improve people's lives and eradicate homelessness. After all, if other jurisdictions in Canada, like Medicine Hat, for example, can achieve such an amazing accomplishment as eradicating homelessness, then why can't we? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.