Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to give the report of the Standing Committee on Finance and our review of the 1993-94 Capital Estimates of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Since the beginning of the 12th Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Finance has consistently told the government that the provision of adequate housing for all residents of the Northwest Territories must be one of its highest priorities.
The housing needs survey prepared by the Housing Corporation shows that we have much work to do to reach this goal. The survey indicates that our current housing shortage is over 3,500 units and the shortage is growing. Recent cuts of 63 per cent in funding levels for new housing construction by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will only impair our ability to reduce this deficit. The Minister of Housing has been keeping the committee abreast of developments regarding the federal funding cuts and the efforts the corporation has been taking to have C.M.H.C. funding levels reinstated. The committee would like to commend the Minister for this.
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However, the committee is concerned that the Minister and his officials are taking a somewhat passive public position on these crippling funding reductions. The committee believes that at some point negotiations cease to be effective and public pressure must be applied. That time may very well have come, Mr. Speaker.
On a related issue, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion in September giving the government a mandate to review the federal government's constitutional and treaty obligations to provide adequate housing for aboriginal people. This is a good start but, frankly, it is not enough. The committee believes that the government and the Minister of Housing must aggressively put forth this position with the Government of Canada, including the Prime Minister.
Until these larger issues are resolved the committee understands that the Housing Corporation must find ways to build housing within the funding presently available. On this note, Mr. Speaker, the committee is pleased with the innovative changes the Housing Corporation has proposed to reshape the Home ownership Assistance Program. These changes should allow the corporation to deliver more units at a lower cost. The corporation should be commended for the good work it has done in this regard.
However, Mr. Speaker, the committee remains very concerned about the decrease in the units available for public housing. We will state it again, the goal of the Housing Corporation should be to provide adequate housing for all residents of the Northwest Territories.