Mr. Patterson, I believe your question is addressed on page 11-12, community planning. Mr. Patterson.

Mr. Chairman, what about for a tax-based municipality?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is also under the capital budget.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

I would like to go back to community planning, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Is the committee agreed that we go back to community planning on page 11-12? Agreed?

Agreed.

---Agreed

Community Planning

Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. According to the government's new long-term staff housing policy employees who are unhappy about paying substantial increases in their rent should be encouraged to pursue home ownership. I am interested in community planning, Mr. Chairman, because I would like to find out from the Minister, how much land is available for residential construction in our communities now that we have some 1,800 or 1,900 people who are presumably going to be looking for lots on which to build houses? I know for example in my own community of Iqaluit, Mr. Chairman, there are about 300 or 400 government employees who are now feeling pressured by the new staff housing policy and who are looking at home ownership options. As I understand it, there are but a few private residential lots available in my community. So when my constituents hear the government say "home ownership is an option, do not feel trapped, you can build your own house", they find it difficult to believe because when they go down to the local municipality, they find there is no land. Has the community planning activity in his department been working with the Department of Personnel to identify the impact of all the new requirements from public servants for home ownership? Has the department been working with the Department of Personnel? Have they oriented their residential development to take into account the numbers of public servants in a community who may now be applying for land? Thank you.

Thank you. The question is under the activity of community planning. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of developing land for houses, that comes under capital. What we are dealing with here is O and M. Nevertheless, I will attempt to answer Mr. Patterson's question. The department has been working with the Housing Corporation and Department of Personnel to identify possible land requirements by new home owners. As the Member stated, there is quite a number of employees who are interested in obtaining their own houses. Not all of the 1300 employees who are interested in getting houses are going to require new lots. My understanding is that most of them are willing to purchase the units which they are living in.

In terms of finding out the number of lots that are available, we will have to do an inventory at this point. We do not know the number of people who will require new lots. At this moment, primarily the employees are interested in getting government-owned houses. If you find out there are employees who want to pursue HAP units or the new program the Housing Corporation has developed, then we will work with the Housing Corporation to determine the number of lots that will be required. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Thank you for correcting me. That question falls under capital. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do believe that the O and M portion of this budget, which we are reviewing today, is to identify and plan for land development projects. I realize the money for developing that land comes out of the capital budget. I am talking about the planning function, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the Minister, I think it is an appropriate question. Mr. Chairman, the Member may know that in my constituency there are only a handful of single detached housing units available in the community for sale to government employees. For better or for worse, most government employees live in multiple row housing or apartment type units? I am sure the honourable Minister is aware that a substantial amount of the 300 or 400 public servants in Iqaluit may wish to purchase or construct houses on new land. What work has been undertaken with the municipality of Iqaluit to plan for these new land requirements resulting from this policy, given that most employees cannot buy their own units because they are part of multiple dwelling units. What plans are under way to deal with the land shortage that we can now anticipate in Iqaluit?

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Under community planning, community plans and zoning, Mr. Minister.

The planning itself is supported through the municipality and through the capital program as well. However, the community of Iqaluit has a long-range plan in place to address different population growths of the community. That is the only way that the government and the municipality know the community is developing. There has been no approach to the municipality yet to discuss with them the possible impact of lot needs because of the housing policy. I think it is assumed that the majority of the people will try to

purchase a government unit. I do not think the municipality is ready if it happened tomorrow, but we have to try to get some needs from somewhere to work with the municipality to ensure getting lots in place. That includes other municipalities as well, even the hamlets.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson.

Yes, well I would like to thank the deputy minister for his candid answer. The reality is, Mr. Chairman, there are only a handful of public servants who could buy their own units in Iqaluit because there are only handful of single detached units available. I think the deputy minister's assessment that the municipality is not ready is quite accurate. The municipality has been taken by surprise by this new policy, just as most of the tenants have been taken by surprise by this new policy and no one is ready to deal with the land requirements that will result from many public servants being forced into home ownership by the threat of substantial increases in rent. Mr. Chairman, would the Minister undertake to provide this Assembly, this session, with an inventory of the existing available residential lots by community in the communities affected by this new long-term staff housing policy? I would like to have the information brought to this Legislature during this session and as soon as possible. I assume it is easily available by the excellent record keeping and land administration system that is in place.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we will have the information available as soon as possible. Like the Member stated, the information is largely in the department, we just have to check it to make sure it is correct. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Patterson, you do not even have to go through the access to information officer. Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I was also pleased to hear the Minister state that his department is working with the Department of Personnel and the Housing Corporation to respond to these anticipated new residential land requirements. I would also like to ask the honourable Minister if we could also be provided with any information about plans that are in place to target land development to communities where these kinds of pressures from government employees who want to build their own houses, or acquire home ownership units, are being felt. Could the Minister undertake to provide this House, in as timely a fashion as possible, with strategies that are in place on the part of the department to meet these anticipated requirements in various communities where these pressures might be felt? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Qujannamiik, Mr. Chairman. Once we know the anticipated requirement for that, we will have the information. Thank you.

Municipal Operations And Assessment