Whereas the committee accepts the fiscal realities and endorses the basic objectives which led to the development of the GNWT long-term staff housing strategy; and whereas the committee is also concerned about certain problems respecting the communication, coordination, timing, inequities and other impacts of the strategy on employee morale; and whereas the committee endorses the following principles as critical to the resolution of these problems and the successful implementation of the strategy:
1. The impact of the strategy should be reduced through a more graduated phasing in of the strategy;
2. In order to achieve equity among all employees regardless of location, the formula for rent calculation and increases, including utility charges, must be improved so as to reduce disparities within and between communities;
3. A working group must be established to study, oversee and recommend solutions on specific implementation problems; Now therefore I move, that the following primary objectives of the GNWT long-term staff housing strategy be accepted by this committee: the encouraging of home ownership and energy conservation among GNWT employees and the withdrawal of the GNWT from the provision of staff housing;
And further, this committee recommends to the executive council that:
1. The GNWT long-term staff housing strategy be phased in over three years;
2. Except in level III communities, rental increases should not amount to more than ten per cent in the first year;
3. A more equitable formula for calculating increases to base rent and utility charges should be devised for subsequent years which will take into account:
a)climatic variations which impact on the cost of utilities;
b)the age and condition of each housing unit;
c)an indexing factor which will take into account variations in the cost of living; and,
d)a corresponding phasing in of the housing allowance.
4. In level III communities, larger rent increases may be instituted in the first year, providing the housing allowance is provided to each employee;
5. The NWT property tax rebate be reinstated at $400 per year.
And further, recommend that a working group be established and chaired by the Minister of Personnel to oversee and advise the Government of the Northwest Territories and report to the next and future sessions of this Assembly on further details and improvements to the implementation of the strategy, including: reasonable additional incentives to encourage home ownership; additional measures and clarifications to encourage the sale of staff housing; means to encourage private sector involvement in the provision of staff housing to government employees; improved coordination with the NWT Housing Corporation access program and integration of staff and public housing administration; technical problems such as metering utilities in multiple units and methods of renegotiating tenancy agreements in a manner which is in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.