Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to ask the Minister of housing about transitional housing. So why don't we just start with the question, what is the minister's understanding or definition of transitional housing? Because we hear that phrase all the time. So we want to make sure we're talking about the same thing and the right thing. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of the definition for transitional housing is individuals that are in transit, so they're looking for independent living and, unfortunately, many times in the Northwest Territories we have people on the waitlist for many, many years. We have over 900 families on the waitlist in the Northwest Territories. So they're on the waitlist waiting for independent housing or public housing, as many people call it, and the idea of transitional housing, it provides some housing but it's in transition. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Okay, I like to use the phrase setting the table. Now we have a sense of what we're talking about. So here we go, Mr. Speaker.
Is the Minister aware of how often we actually have people who transition out of transitional housing into regular, private housing? In other words, we've helped them, and now that they're able to survive and proceed on their own? Could the Minister answer that question. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, transitional housing and the idea of transitional housing just came up in the last few years where many communities and shelters are looking at different options for clients or for tenants. A recent trip to Behchoko, I talked to a transitional housing client, and he had been in transitional housing for 11 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Transitional housing, given what I've heard today, sounds like the whole idea is to help you out. But is it to help you out just to get you in the public system forever, or is it designed to help you out so you can become independent and, you know, a contributor or balance the appropriate needs in your lifestyle and your family in the community on your own with the independence philosophy? Can the Minister help with that? Because all I know is people, once they get into transitional housing, it's almost like they're there forever. So I need some clarity on that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it's important that we understand that right now in the Northwest Territories we offer public or market housing, and we're offering shelter space across the Northwest Territories in seven different communities, or seven different shelters, plus we have a Northern Pathways program, plus we have some transitional housing after addictions treatment that recently opened in Yellowknife and Inuvik.
In terms of transitional housing, this is not meant to be permanent, Mr. Speaker, but it provides those that are in kind of, like, suspension right now, they're waiting for housing or they're waiting for independent housing to provide them their own space rather than living in a shelter. So the idea is that we transition many people on the waitlist to transitional housing, or if they need that supportive living component, add them to the transitional housing -- council them into transitional housing.
What we're finding right now that many people living in public housing need extra supports, and this is a concern across the Northwest Territories, especially with Housing NWT, especially concerning much of the damage across the North with Housing NWT units, Mr. Speaker. So we're trying to offer different ideas, different solutions along the housing continuum, and this is one idea. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
