Lucy Kuptana

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the progress the Government of the Northwest Territories has made in addressing homelessness, and to acknowledge the ongoing needs ahead. We have taken important steps to remain committed to continuing this work with empathy, focus, and collaboration.

Homelessness is a complex issue that intersects with all areas of the 20th Legislative Assembly's priorities. It is influenced by the suitability, accessibility, and affordability of housing, a strong economic foundation, access to health care and addressing the effects of trauma and ensuring safe residents...

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...

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...

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, Madam Chair. And yes, Behchoko alone has over 130, 140 families on the waitlist. But that's a number across the Northwest Territories. There are over 900 families across the Northwest Territories, over 300 in Yellowknife alone, almost 100 in Inuvik. You know, the stat across the Northwest Territories is pretty bleak. There's a lot of families on the waitlist. And the concern from the Member is how do we make these decisions? Well, we have 32 communities to supply housing to, public and social housing to. And what we did at the time was look at our capital plan and plan to deliver in...

Mr. Speaker, again, a number, a really important question, considering the number of encampments in and around the city over the last few years. As Housing NWT, we commit to developing a standard operating procedure on how we will, within government, work together and with other partners for spring of 2026. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There's a lot of good things happening, and the Fort Good Hope construction centre is one of those great things that are happening. And we're working together in partnership with the K’asho Got’ine Housing Society and the development corporation to support them and have them be successful because building in a small community like Fort Good Hope modular housing units that could be transported throughout the Sahtu, and perhaps the Beaufort Delta, is a good opportunity considering the low water levels in the Northwest Territories and the challenges for transportation and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again rent is based on income, so this is gross income of the household so it's not only the elder or senior in the house, it's the entire household, the working income or the income of the household. So there's sometimes difficulty with seniors because they take the burden on, again, of the entire household and don't get the support from other working members of the household. So again, another difficult situation. But Housing NWT right now is reviewing the rental scale, and we hope to have more comments from Members of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely, we can keep the Member for Yellowknife North updated. I'm excited as well to see that replacement. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, having a conversation with the district office, there is a few funding streams that are available, and working perhaps with the local housing organization, the local band, there's a community housing support initiative grant, there's also a co-investment fund that would require, like, investment from both the community and Housing NWT. So there is some possibilities, Mr. Speaker, that we could look at for a solution. Thank you.