Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to my Member statement where I talked about the housing policy and concerns lack thereof. It was built on my statement even as of yesterday and given the circumstances.
Mr. Speaker, why don't we start with a softball. Has anything I have said today resonated in a manner that the Minister is willing to go back and see if we can accelerate the encampment policy to ensure people are safe and whatnot, because I really know she's got a great shop there and they could do this without waiting to the spring of 2026. So did that hit a tone of urgency from the Minister? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The tone and understanding in the situation with encampments in the city of Yellowknife is urgent. I understand that, and I understand the urgency and the tone from the Member. Housing NWT is working within its policy shop and looking at delivering an all of government approach in terms of policy. We work in partnership with the Yellowknife Partnerships Committee, work in collaboration with other departments, including EIA's integrated service delivery. We have to have this reviewed by many other departments. We have to be careful in our policy. We can't rush a policy, but we are working to deliver something. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I know this Minister has the ability to do this and I know the policy shop exists and I know they have the talent to go liberate wording and structure from everything. Is there any reason that the Minister couldn't agree today that she could come up and table a draft policy by the last day of this session? That gives just over a week to come up with something and we can put a footnote saying and we're still going to develop this in partnership with our colleagues, Mr. Speaker, and we would have something in place to move forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Understanding housing has 99 employees across the Northwest Territories and we take care of 2900 units across the Northwest Territories, working with 23 different LHOs, and we have two people -- two employees in the policy shop. I mean, we have to look at things carefully. Understanding the concern, the urgency around encampments, and this has been ongoing for the last number of years. We have committed to deliver something in spring of 2026 but I'll ask the president of Housing NWT if anything can be done sooner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. I'll take that olive branch, Mr. Speaker, because safety matters.
Mr. Speaker, the last piece I'll take and ask -- or sorry, the last piece I'll ask in this particular case, again speaks to my Member's statement, which is what are they going to do in recognition that you are the lead Minister on this homelessness issue to ensure that these encampments are inspected, people are safe, and we don't have another fire?
And lastly, Mr. Speaker, this was right next to a pile of propane tanks and I even heard that one went off. Thank you.
Member, there's two questions in that. So I am going to let the Minister -- give her the flexibility to answer how she wants to. Minister of Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT and the integrated service delivery unit has been working really closely with all the encampment folks. And there has been multiple encampments throughout the summer and the fall time. We're hoping to move on transitional housing by December of this year. Again, we are providing weekly visits to all the encampments throughout Yellowknife. And there's, again, multiple encampments throughout Yellowknife. But again, these are conversations that we have and we can counsel, but people have the freedom to do what they want provided it's done in a safe manner. So they have to follow regulations. They have to work with the city, work with the bylaw, work with the RCMP, work with the fire department. And I'm so grateful, Mr. Speaker, that there was no one hurt in this encampment. So, and then again, grateful for frontline first responders and also for the Yellowknife fire department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
