Lucy Kuptana

Member Nunakput

Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Lucy Kuptana was elected to the 20th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in November 2023 to represent the constituency of Nunakput, which includes the communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. A member of the Executive Council, she is the Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Prior to her election, Mrs. Kuptana was the Senior Administrative Officer for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. She was also a director with the Tuktoyaktuk District Education Authority.

For 22 years previous, Mrs. Kuptana was the Director of Operations, Communications, and Culture with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). In a volunteer capacity, she has served as a director of the Inuvik Homeless Shelter Society, trustee of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, president of the Inuvialuit Communications Society, director of the Inuvialuit Investment Corporation, director of the Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik Community Corporations, and a committee member for the 2023 Northern Youth Games “Inuvialuit Piuyausiat” in Tuktoyaktuk.

Originally from Aklavik and raised at her family’s bush camp in the Mackenzie Delta, Mrs. Kuptana obtained a Level II and Level III Certificate in Community Administration from Aurora College in the early 1990s and returned to graduate with a Diploma in Business Administration and Management in 2013. Mrs. Kuptana is currently enrolled with Yukon University, where she is working towards accreditation in the school’s First Nations Governance and Public Administration program.

Despite a successful career spanning decades, Mrs. Kuptana credits her husband and family in supporting her. She says she owes much of her success to those who have fought – and continue to fight – for Indigenous and Inuvialuit rights.

Mrs. Kuptana’s guiding principle is to lead with respect, empathy, knowledge, and the willingness to work hard for the constituents she represents and all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Nunakput Electoral District

Committees

Public Accounts
Lucy Kuptana
Nunakput
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Minister
Email
Email
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of barriers with the homeownership initiative program -- and I spoke about this in the House earlier. But many times, people are not prepared to take on the homeownership initiative and apply to the program. That's one of the barriers. The second barrier is this is related to coordinating of thresholds, so there is a salary threshold for people to be -- applicable to this program and you have to reach -- you have to be below that threshold to be -- to apply to the program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Jim Martin will provide information to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Policy and planning division, so $748,000 decrease. This is primarily explained by additional staffing for the homelessness section, plus $370,000 in addition, federally funded training and development for shelter staff. So there was some federal funds to the policy and planning division. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right is the president of Housing Northwest Territories, Dr. Erin Kelly. And to my left is Mr. Jim Martin, who is our vice-president of finance and infrastructure.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And yes, understood. And this is part of the discussions that President Kelly had with the Fort Good Hope team, was looking at the construction centre and some of the construction down the line with the capital plan to align all of that in preparation considering the transportation costs, winter road access, barge access, so all of these things are in consideration, and we have to look long term rather than short term, but we want to support them in their endeavorers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll pass that to Dr. Erin Kelly to provide for information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dr. Kelly will provide more specifics to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Question 556-20(1): Homeownership Programs and Supports
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, like homeownership is a challenge in the Northwest Territories. So what housing's doing differently now is they're providing counselling, they're providing budgeting sessions, they're providing those with arrears an opportunity to pay off their arrears so they can become eligible. And also with the HIP program, it is a forgivable loan over three to five years so the tenant would become the owner of the house through a forgivable loan which would zero out at the end of those years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dr. Erin Kelly will provide information related to the coms piece around this. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 47)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's a big question, especially for Housing NWT, because we're focused on public housing, providing social housing in communities, but also market housing. We have the, like we've talked about before, the HELP units, and we also have RCMP housing.

So one of the things I've noticed, and especially when I went to Behchoko recently, was going into a transitional housing, there was an individual in there for a number of years and the reason why he was in there for a number of years was there's no housing available in the community for him to move on. And he's ready to move...