Check against delivery
Mr. Speaker, addressing housing needs in the Northwest Territories cannot be done by any single government. We must continue to build and strengthen partnerships: partnerships with Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, community governments, Non-government Organizations, private companies, and the Government of Canada.
Partnership is a theme I have spoken about many times since becoming Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories but over the last three years, through our strategic renewal process, it has become more prominent. We have worked with our partners to deliver home repair and homeownership programs, develop community housing plans, deliver new units in communities most in need, support those at risk of being homeless and recently, we have developed a plan to address a lack of market housing in communities across the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, our partnerships with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations are particularly important as we address the territory’s housing crisis. The Community Housing Support Initiative is a great example of this. Housing NWT established this funding program to support Indigenous governments in implementing innovative and community-driven housing projects of their own design. We have partnered with a number of Indigenous governments to date including the Salt River First Nation, Whati Community Government, and the Nihtat Gwich’in Council.
Mr. Speaker, for over 15 years Housing NWT has been partnering with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation for the operation and administration of public housing units in N’Dilo and Dettah. We also provide approximately $1.5 million a year to the North Slave Housing Corporation for the operation and administration of 75 units to Indigenous people in Yellowknife.
We have also been working with K’átł’odeeche First Nation, providing them with funding to operate and maintain ten public housing units on the K’átł’odeeche First Nation Reserve. Additionally, our staff worked with the K’átł’odeeche First Nation on a Community Housing Plan, which was adopted on September 19, 2022.
In the Tlicho region, we work through the Tłı̨chǫ Housing Working Group, which sets priorities and administers housing projects. During this fiscal year, Housing NWT is projecting to invest just over $3 million on housing programs, and maintenance and repairs to its rental housing units in Tłı̨chǫ communities.
Mr. Speaker, as part of finding new ways of partnering with Indigenous governments under the renewal strategy, Housing NWT entered into three formal agreements over the last year: a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tłı̨chǫ Government, a Memorandum of Agreement with the Sahtu Secretariat, and most recently, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Délinę Got’įne Government. These agreements provide a framework for intergovernmental cooperation on housing-related matters and may include such priorities as community housing planning, coordinating program delivery, information and data sharing. These housing agreements can also advance the implementation of self-government agreements including the agreement to procurement protocols and enacting laws related to social housing. Outside of these formal MOU’s, Housing NWT is working with other Indigenous governments with a less formal approach but still with the full intent to partner on housing priorities and interests.
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT will continue to seek opportunities for partnership to leverage funding to address the needs of NWT residents. One example of this is with the YWCA where their capital project funding from Canada required an ongoing in-kind commitment from Housing NWT to provide operational funding and Housing NWT has provided a multi-year funding agreement of $500,000 per year to support their program delivery. Another example is our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, a global organization that works towards stable, affordable housing with the help of sweat equity.
Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity began in 2013 and includes a capital contribution to their project but also includes supporting them to find locations for their builds and advertising for eligible clients. Habitat’s current agreement with Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Housing NWT will see ten Habitat units constructed. Housing NWT seeks to be flexible in its partnership arrangements to achieve the end goal of getting more affordable housing into our communities.
Mr. Speaker, a lack of housing options in communities across the territory is a barrier for the recruitment and retention of frontline community workers. In response to this, a number of GNWT departments have worked together to assess the present and future needs for market rental housing. The joint effort has resulted in identifying the need for over 260 market rental housing units in NWT communities. As the GNWT lead on this work, Housing NWT will work with Indigenous governments, local businesses, and with the federal government, to put a plan in place to develop these market housing units, and supporting recruitment, local economies, businesses and employment in the NWT.
Our renewal strategy requires continued work with Indigenous and community governments, non-government organizations and others to improve housing programs and services and expand on our collective housing portfolio in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, as this statement describes, Housing NWT has been putting a lot of emphasis on building and repairing relationships during the life of this government and by continuing to deepen the relationships with our partners we believe we can successfully address the territory’s housing crisis.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.