Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its Mandate to work in partnership with other orders of government to address affordable housing requirements and to support Aboriginal and local governments in their housing aspirations and initiatives to address homelessness.

We are delivering on that commitment and I am pleased to tell you today about a new partnership initiative between the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and K’atlodeeche First Nation that will let us deliver housing services and programs on reserve land.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to supporting Elders by building more seniors’ supported independent living units and marketing maintenance, renovation and mobility upgrades to help seniors age in place.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to work in partnership with other orders of government to address affordable housing requirements. As Members already know, our territory has housing needs well beyond those of the rest of Canada, especially in our rural and remote communities.  The Northwest Territories has the second highest level of core housing need in the country at 20% while the national average sits at 12.5%. 

Thank you all for coming today. I am here today to announce that as Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, I am revoking the appointment of the current Board of Directors of NTPC and appointing Deputy Ministers to the NTPC Board. This change will take effect on May 24^th, 2016.

Yellowknife, le 5 mai 2016 – À l’issue d’un forum de partenariat communautaire sur l’itinérance à Yellowknife, tenu dans cette ville les 26 et 27 avril dernier, la ministre responsable de l’itinérance, Caroline Cochrane, et le maire de Yellowknife, Mark Heyck, ont décidé d’unir leurs efforts pour venir en aide aux sans-abri.

Mr. Speaker, many communities face challenges in providing programs and services to their people because lack of affordable housing makes it hard to recruit and retain staff.  Lowering the cost of living is one of the priorities of this Assembly and increasing the availability of safe, affordable housing is one of the key actions to advance that priority. 

Mr. Speaker, increasing the availability of safe, affordable housing and building stronger relationships with community governments and other stakeholders are two of the priorities agreed to by Members of the Legislative Assembly. 

AKLAVIK (September 24, 2015) – The Honourable Robert C. McLeod, Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC), is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik on September 14, the community’s new Seniors Independent Living Facility.

YELLOWKNIFE (July 31, 2015) – The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) will exempt public housing tenants receiving the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) in the same manner recently announced for NWT residents on income assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform Members about changes to how the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation calculates rent for public housing tenants.