Vice-president Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, as part -- a component of Housing NWT's 2025-2026 fiscal sustainability adjustments does include a recognition that we are disposing of homeownership entry level programs through the modes that the Minister mentioned, and the target for 2025-2026 is $408,000 budget fiscal adjustment. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Next, I have Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. If we're still on the page 387, public housing program. From last fiscal year, it went down, but according to the business plan, the mandate commitment says that increased housing availability for all residents by working with partners to address the gap, and the target minimum a 20 client each year and a minimum spending of $50 million per year from housing, and to achieve this it says $50 million per year from outside organization on housing. Can the must explain this further. The business plan on page 4.
Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The business plan here, President Kelly will provide more detail to it. Thank you, Madam Chair.
President Kelly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So we have spent over $50 million the last two years. Much of that money is coming from the federal government, so that's what we're referring to in the business plan. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Yeah, thank you. That's good. The reason why I asked is because in Behchoko alone, you know, I'm glad that, you know, you guys came, that, you know, Housing NWT visited the community. And there's a great need for housing, and we have, like, looking at this, 25 space each year. We have over 130 people on the waitlist and a lot of singles, and it's families, and some elders. So how are we going to achieve this for Behchoko? I know that we cannot solve all this, like you know, to accommodate 130 people, but at least building some houses. And I like what I see now that there's a -- you're partnering, you know, with Tlicho investment corporations and -- you know, I know that some of these can be done through partnership and so I just -- how are we going to do this for Tlicho region, especially in Behchoko when there's -- I mean, all the communities in Tlicho communities need houses. We have some waitlists but not as big as Behchoko alone, over 100 people on the waitlist. And, yeah, so how are we going to take care of that? Is there a plan in place from the Housing NWT to take care of Behchoko housing waitlist? Thank you.
Minister of NWT Housing.
Thank you, Madam Chair. An enormous task, considering Behchoko has 135 people on the waitlist -- 135 families on the waitlist. That's why this territorial housing needs assessment is so important, because we look at everything that we have but we also look at the quality of housing that we have. That's why unit condition ratings are so important is we make decisions, planning decisions, based on unit condition ratings and ages of the housing unit. We have over 356 housing units that are 50 years plus in the Northwest Territories. Some in Behchoko, but many in other communities as well. So these decisions -- and this was right back to 2017, there was a housing needs assessment report done then, and it outlined $1 billion over a 20-year period for housing, so back in 2017. But I'll tell you the 19th Assembly was the first Assembly in 20 years that put any investment into housing, and the 20th Assembly continues to invest into housing. So there has been that restart of investing into housing and community. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Homeownership entry level and market housing program, I see here -- I mean, it's not on this list but it was e-mailed to us for the North Slave -- I mean, for Tlicho region, you know, there's -- since 2007, for Tlicho region, Behchoko had HELP program, home improvement or home entry level program. There were four in 2007, two in Behchoko and two in Gameti, HELP applications; 12 in Tlicho region; and another one occupied HELP units, there's 27 in Tlicho region. So I would like to ask the Minister how many of these are transfer, the one that's occupied, transferred to the homeowner as a homeowner program?
Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have that level of detail but I can provide it to the Member. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Monfwi.
Okay. Well, I'll send her an email on this after just so that I can get the number of how many in my region are successfully -- or were successfully transferred to homeowner. And you met some of the people, the potential that are still in the HELP program, and they want the unit to be transferred over to them so that they can start doing their own construction, fix up the unit that they have resided in for many years under the HELP program. And so the HELP -- approve HELP application, 12 in Tlicho region, but it doesn't say the year. So I want to ask the Minister -- maybe she might not have the numbers, but I can email her to see how many of these HELP application program are still paying the mortgage within the Tlicho region. There's 12 in Tlicho region.
Thank you. Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Honestly, I really appreciate these questions but this level of detail is, like, very down, you know, nitty-gritty detail that we can provide but it would take some work to provide that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Monfwi.
Okay, thank you. I would like to get that information too as well. Because I know there's a lot of people that are asking, and there's some market rental, and you've seen that. And then a lot of people are living in some of those old units from the '70s and early '80s. They would like to become a homeowner or -- of those units.
So you said -- so you're transferring some of the HELP program to people under the HELP program. So I just wanted to ask the Minister if they can explain how are they determining the price of these units, especially in the small community where we do not have market to buy and sell the houses just like other -- in a larger regional centre. Thank you.
Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Martin here can provide more information on how we determine the price for the HELP units in the Tlicho region. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Vice-president Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The valuation for the HELP units is based on net book value. That's the remaining value of the asset for accounting purposes. And that is reflected in the agreement with the client. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Monfwi.
Okay, thank you. Thank you for that information because I talked to some of the clients, and I know that, you know, some of them have lived in the unit for over ten years. Some, they like the agreement that they got from the Housing NWT which means that it was just transferred to them at no cost. So I know a lot of them would like to see that being carried forward. It does -- a lot of those units do need a lot of repair. So I would like to see that respected in Tlicho region and other region as well too. So not at a great cost because there's no market to buy and sell houses in small communities. So thank you.
Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Understandably that, especially in small communities, remote communities, housing costs and looking at something that's agreeable both for the client and Housing NWT, we work with the client and try to get the -- try to provide them the best counsel. Thank you, Madam Chair.
No further questions. I'll call on the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.
There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion's carried.
---Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Report of Committee of the Whole. Member from the Deh Cho.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 12 and Tabled Document 275-20(1) and would like to report progress with one motion carried. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the Report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Member from Deh Cho. Can I have a seconder, please? Member from Mackenzie Delta. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion carried.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Government Operations will be meeting at the rise of House.
Orders of the day for Thursday, February 27th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
Prayer or Reflection
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Motions
Motion 47-20(1), State of Emergency for Humanitarian Reasons for Norman Wells
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 530-20(1), Senior Envoy to Government of Canada
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Written Question 13-20(1), Physician Staffing
Replies to the Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Bill 12, Business Day Statute Law Amendment Act
Orders of the Day
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, February 27th, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
