Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
The question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried. Thank you.
---Carried
I am going to go to the Member from Monfwi for Motion number 22.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide adequate funding and investment in the development of transitional housing and in strengthening the shelter and safe home system in small communities of the Northwest Territories to relieve the burden on the Yellowknife shelter system;
And further, as the first step to achieve this, the Government of the Northwest Territories should develop a costed action plan outlining specific action steps each with an assigned budget and timeline, and table this in the House within the 20th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Thank you.
---Carried
I'll go to the Member from Monfwi for Motion number 23.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories create a 24-hour shelter in the city of Yellowknife, either through an existing or new program, to ensure wraparound supports are accessible for those utilizing homelessness shelter spaces to move along the housing continuum. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on one of the early meetings I had when I started working as an MLA was with shelter providers about this very issue, and it was clear from then that the need for a 24-hour shelter in Yellowknife is crucial to supporting the shelter services that we currently provide. There's a whole host of issues of why having operational windows for a shelter service is letting the population that depends on this down, and it's also making things harder for shelter providers. So there's a definite need for this. It will definitely improve conditions on the ground. And, you know, we are talking a lot about encampments and shelter spaces and how shelters are working and aren't working for people who need them and, you know, there's no shortage of empathy in Yellowknife and communities across the Northwest Territories for people in need, but this is -- and this is a service they definitely need. So I think this is something that urgently needs to be addressed as soon as possible and that we need to bring something forward. And I know the government is bringing resources to bear on some of these challenges, but this is one that has been proposed loud and clear by the very people we rely on, the NGOs we rely on to support shelter services in Yellowknife. And it's time we listened and time we got this done, so I thoroughly endorse this recommendation. Thank you.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
The question has been called. All those in favour -- sorry, I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to quickly add I know we've discussed this in the House before, and in my mind there's still a lack of clarity. I mean, there's hope that the new wellness and recovery centre in Yellowknife could provide such a 24-hour shelter or these kind of supports, but I'm not clear. While the building may be planned to be open 24 hours -- I know there's a sobering centre part and a day shelter part and I imagine the sobering centre part will be, you know, open during the night. But the idea is not just to technically have somewhere that's open at each time of day but to provide a place where someone who's not necessarily in need of a sobering centre, someone who's not necessarily intoxicated, could just stay beyond, you know, a limited period, just sort of catch their breath and actually not have to be shuffled along, you know, at 7 a.m. or at 5 p.m. or whatever it is, but to be able to stay in a place and then have a chance to actually access some like mental health counselling supports or talk with support workers about what options are for moving forward. So I just want to ensure that Cabinet's understanding the intent behind this recommendation. It's not just to technically ensure that there's somewhere that is open at each given time but that we're asking for a place where someone doesn't have to be sort of shuffled to the next place on a regular round and could just relax a bit and access the supports that they need. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried. Thank you.
---Carried
I am going to go to the Member for Monfwi for Motion number 24.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories create 24-hour shelters in communities across the territory, prioritized according to the urgency of shelter needs in the communities to ensure wraparound supports are accessible for those utilizing homelessness shelter spaces to move along the housing continuum.
Thank you. To the motion. The Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this support is greatly needed in many of the small communities. We have a lot of people that have been homeless for many years, and they really do need a lot of support, a lot of trauma experience in their lives due to being homeless. And some of the people that I talk to, they put themselves in harm's way just so that they can have a place to sleep. So there's a lot of social issues that comes along with them. And some of the residents that are homeless, you know what they're saying to me? I almost got raped. That's what they're saying. So how many of those did get assaulted? And that is really wrong; that's not right. So this wraparound services support is greatly needed for many of the shelters. So I support this because it's greatly needed in many of the small communities. It's greatly needed in the Tlicho region. And if housing was not an issue, we shouldn't be having homelessness. Thank you.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried. Thank you.
---Carried
Motion number 25. I am going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories review and implement strategies to assist non-profit and charitable organizations with contracts to provide social housing or Housing First, with the rise of insurance costs, specifically for their rental housing programs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried. Thank you.
---Carried
Motion number 26. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories actively collaborate with municipalities and communities across the territory to develop and implement a standardized encampment protocol;
And further, this protocol should prioritize the safety and dignity of individuals living in tent encampments while also ensuring respectful coexistence with neighboring residents, properties, and public spaces;
And furthermore, establishing clear guidelines and responsibilities will help prevent conflict, support vulnerable populations, and promote community well-being. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Thank you. Motion carried.
---Carried
Okay, we'll take a five-minute break.
---SHORT RECESS
I am going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories work with the federal government to ensure that funding mechanisms, such as those established under the Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, provide direct and equitable funding to Indigenous governments and organizations, including those with both settled and unsettled land claims;
And further, adopting this approach is necessary to address and reduce funding disparities between regions and to support equitable access to housing resources for all Indigenous peoples across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
The question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
I am going to go to Motion number 28. And I am going to go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Northwest Territories collaborate with the Yukon Government and the Government of Nunavut to develop a unified pan-territorial advocacy plan;
And further, this plan should be used to advocate to the Government of Canada to ensure that federal policies and funding are better aligned with northern realities and Indigenous perspectives in light of federal strategies (i.e. Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy) and funding that continues to fall short in reaching the housing needs of Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
Question.
The question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion carried.
---Carried
I'll go to the Member from Monfwi for Motion number 29.
Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories incorporate the recommendations contained in this report into its proposed 3-year housing plan;
And further, this committee expects the housing plan to clearly demonstrate how each recommendation is being addressed, including the actions to be taken, anticipated outcomes, and timelines for implementation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. To the motion.
