Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you. It's good to see my two pages in here, Nicoli and Shyloh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of housing explain what specific plans are in place to ensure transitional housing and wraparound supports like those offered in Yellowknife are extended to small communities across the NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was waiting for you to -- that's okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question.
Transitional housing and wraparound supports, it's required all across the Northwest Territories. Looking at our waiting list, looking at Behchoko, we have over 130 families waiting for housing. In your Member's statement, you indicated some applicants may wait their entire lifetime for housing. So the work we do at housing, the money that this Legislative Assembly has approved over the next number of years, the federal engagement piece, the working with the Cabinet, the federal Cabinet, working with the new federal housing Ministers, these are the conversations we're going to have. This is a vision that we have. This is a priority of this Assembly. So continued good work and advocacy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given that the $2 million federal territorial funding for transitional housing is limited, how does the Minister plan to prioritize or supplement this funding to meet the urgent need for temporary housing with wraparound support in regions like Tlicho?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my most recent visit to Behchoko, and hopefully going into Whati over the summer, I see the need going into the communities, looking at what people need in communities to survive, and transitional housing is one of those pieces, including shelter space, including warming shelter space, including transitional housing, including THARP, including public housing, including market housing. So there's a huge need in the housing continuum across the North, and the Tlicho region is one of those regions and ridings that need housing. And, again, we have to look at this on a territorial basis.
We have 32 communities in the Northwest Territories that we provide public and social housing to, so these are the decisions we make and hopefully the plan over the next three years will encompass that decision. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister say how the department is working with other GNWT departments like Health and Social Services and with Indigenous government to expand programs like Northern Pathways to Housing and ensure they include long-term social supports for residents with addictions? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this Cabinet, we are discussing housing all the time with the different departments, including justice and health and education, eulture and employment and infrastructure, and then with finance and our Premier involved, constantly. Housing is a priority of this government. We work towards that. How do we move ahead, that's important. So we need to have plans in place, including transitional housing in all communities. But how do we get there? We need to get the funding and supports working alongside Indigenous governments who are receiving distinction-based funding through the federal-earned funding..
These are engagements that we have at Council of Leaders, engagements we have in bilateral discussions and face-to-face discussions and phone calls and conversations that we continue to press the need for housing in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
