Thank you. Motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.

---Carried

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee did take a look at trying to find ways to increase the amount of housing available to people. According to the figures provided to the committee, 1,135 G.N.W.T. households are currently living in social housing. If they can be moved out of social housing into their own accommodation, these units will be available for families in core housing need.

The committee believes that a viable alternative for 1993-94 would be to invest up to $20 million of G.N.W.T. money reallocated from less critical projects or programs, combined with bank financing, to build one 50 unit apartment complex in one community in each of the regions. The goal would be to create 250 apartment units for private accommodation and free up 250 public housing units.

In the future these apartment buildings could be sold off to local developers if a reasonable market exists, and the proceeds from the sale reinvested.

This approach offers some economies of scale. For example, one design may be used, and a quantity discount on materials may be obtained. Local companies and labour should be used as much as possible to ensure that the direct economic benefits of these projects remain in the north. The committee believes, and I believe, that funding can be found from within the existing resources.

Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommend that, as a pilot project, the government reallocate up to $20 million from less critical capital projects or programs to invest in one 50 unit apartment building for G.N.W.T. staff in each region.

Thank you. Motion is in order. To the motion.

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Sorry, Mr. Bernhardt.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really do not agree with this pilot project because in the two communities I serve, we have some vacancies of government staff houses. If we do not have any decentralization PYs coming to my communities, why are we going to invest in a 50 unit apartment building for Coppermine and Cambridge Bay? It might be needed in some other regions, but certainly not in the region I represent.

Thank you. Mr. Zoe.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it appears that the intention of the government to try to get out of staff housing and this committee's recommendations may be contradicting what the government is trying to do. I have difficulty in allocating our funding for staff housing when I feel that funding should be directed for public units. I, as a Member, with all due respect to our Chairman and our committee, do not agree with the concept. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Koe.

I think there is a major assumption being made here that people who live in detached social housing would want to move into apartment buildings. Many people who I know that live in social housing do not want to live in apartment buildings.

It has been mentioned several times by my colleague in the Chair, that there are existing development corporation groups who have money available now that would probably, if this motion passes, want to get into this type of business.

My third comment is the same as my colleague for Thebacha, that we heard the government housing strategies yesterday, the government is getting out of the housing market and here we are turning around and building more government apartments. At this stage I would oppose this motion.

Thank you. To the motion. Mr. Todd.

Mr. Chairman, they have a saying where I come from, you win one, you lose one.

Was that to the motion? We have not made any decisions yet. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to commend the Members on their positive attitude and commitment to try to solve the housing needs in the Northwest Territories because we are in great need of housing. We have 3,500 units and even with the amounts we are building, we cannot keep up with the grow and demand, let alone touch the backlog, because of restraint.

I would also like to remind Members that the allocation of units to the communities is driven by the needs survey. To try to solve five communities' needs at one time, or to target a certain group would not be a fair allocation or a fair way of trying to solve the housing problem. We have attempted in the past not to target any group for housing allocations. The programs are designed to specifically meet the needs of those most in need first. I just wanted to let Members know that. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

In face of people's concerns I will withdraw the motion, Mr. Chairman.

---Withdrawn

---Applause

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Recommendation three, Mr. Chairman, is with respect to social assistance rates. Are they adequate for the current cost of housing? If the G.N.W.T. and northern employers do not pay enough to allow people to afford their own housing, the committee questions whether social assistance rates can be adequate to cover the real costs related to housing. The Minister was to research this but has not yet reported back to the committee on his findings.

Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommends that the N.W.T. Housing Corporation review with the Department of Social Services, the social assistance rates as they apply to housing costs to ensure the full cost of housing in the Northwest Territories are properly taken into account and funded by the federal government.