Debates of Oct. 27th, 1994
This is page numbers 549 - 580 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.
Topics
- Members Present
- Item 1: Prayer
- Minister's Statement 42-12(6): Appointment Of Ms. Mary Simon As Canada's First Circumpolar Ambassador
- Transfer Of Sir John Franklin High School
- Environmental Review Process
- Round-table On Economy And Environment
- Contamination Of Coppermine's Fresh Water Supply
- Future Location Of The Capital Of Nunavut
- Allocation Of Social Assistance
- Dangers Of Thin Ice
- Upgrading Road In Sanikiluaq
- Metis Voice Report Card
- Telecommunications In Small Communities
- Sexual Assault And Child Sexual Abuse
- Item 4: Returns To Oral Questions
- Question 260-12(6): Problems With Coppermine's Water Supply
- Question 261-12(6): Notification Of Awg 1998 Site Selection
- Question 262-12(6): Agreement Re Sir John Franklin Transfer
- Question 263-12(6): Telecommunication Services For Unserviced Communities
- Question 264-12(6): Innovative Fund Raising For Stanton Hospital
- Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
- Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
- Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
- Question 268-12(6): Maca's Involvement In Capital's Site Plan
- Question 269-12(6): Difficulties Cashing Social Assistance Cheques In Natilikmiot
- Question 270-12(6): Status Of Informatics Strategy
- Question 271-12(6): Cost Of Living Survey
- Question 272-12(6): Policy For Walk-in Freezers
- Written Question 22-12(6): Arrears Owed To The NWT Housing Corporation
- Written Question 23-12(6): Community Public Health Nurses
- Written Question 24-12(6): Provision Of Uhf Radios And Gps To Communities
- Written Question 25-12(6): Sexual Assault And Child Sexual Abuse
- Committee Report 13-12(6): Report On The Elimination Of The Alcohol And Drug Board Of Management
- Committee Report 14-12(6): Advisory Committee On Social Housing Report On Taloyoak Meetings, September 23 - 25, 1994
- Item 13: Tabling Of Documents
- Item 15: Notices Of Motions
- Bill 16: An Act To Amend The Legislative Assembly And Executive Council Act, No. 2
- Bill 21: An Act To Amend The Fair Practices Act
- Bill 19: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1994-95, Withdrawn
- Bill 20: An Act To Amend The Student Financial Assistance Act, Carried
- Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 1, 1995-96Committee Report 10-12(6): Report On The Review Of The 1995-96 Capital Estimates
- Committee Motion 39-12(6): To Adopt Recommendation 9, Carried
- Committee Motion 40-12(6): To Adopt Recommendation 10, Carried
- Item 20: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Return To Written Question 2-12(6): Elders' Residences Operated By The GNWT
- Item 22: Orders Of The Day
Further Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 559
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Madam Speaker. There are general criteria that the international committee uses for guidelines; I don't know to what extent they use it in evaluating communities. Since I don't have the inside information of the committee's decision in arriving at the decision they made, I could provide the...I'm not even sure if the requirement for facilities was one of the guidelines, but I could provide the Member with a list of the facilities that are available and the facilities that were planned to be built as of this winter. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Question 265-12(6): Awg Selection Committee's Knowledge Of Inuvik Infrastructure
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 559
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik, Mr. Koe.
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
October 27th, 1994
Page 559
Fred Koe Inuvik
Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Most of us are aware that there's a large amount of rental arrears owed by tenants to the various housing associations. Can the Minister give us an indication as to the magnitude of these arrears owed to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation?
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 559
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Minister of Housing, Mr. Morin.
Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I cannot give the Member the exact amount of arrears, but I know it does run into millions of dollars. We are working to try to adjust the arrears issue. In some cases, we have people who have passed away who are still on the books as owing the Housing Corporation rent. We have some arrears that are 15 or 20 years old. So I have instructed the department to put together a paper on how to address the arrears, what arrears should be written off and what shouldn't so I can take that to Cabinet for approval. Thank you.
Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Supplementary, Mr. Koe.
Supplementary To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Fred Koe Inuvik
Mahsi. As was mentioned, some of these arrears have been around for a long time, and I'm sure some were incurred by people when they were younger and less stable. But today, a lot of people tend to grow up, their lifestyles change, they may have responsible jobs, they may have families, but because of outstanding debts incurred quite a few years ago, and then the interest accruing on these debts, some of these people have no chance of ever paying these off. This debt causes these people to never be able to qualify for the existing housing home ownership programs or for conventional mortgages. You mentioned you're investigating ways to write off some of these debts. What's the status of that investigation?
Supplementary To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.
Further Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I know that when some of us were younger we were less stable, but we are older and wiser now and able to plan our future. A lot of people, too, have gone through drug and alcohol rehabilitation to straighten out their lives, they have a family to raise and they want to get into their own homes. It has been brought to the attention of my office that they are in need of housing, they are quite willing and able to pay for housing programs, but they are deemed ineligible because they are in arrears with the Housing Corporation.
I agree with the Member that we have to address it and we are trying to move as quickly as possible. Hopefully, we should have that paper taken to Cabinet before the end of the fiscal year. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Supplementary, Mr. Koe.
Supplementary To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Fred Koe Inuvik
Mahsi, Madam Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that response. There is another category of people that, more and more, are doing different things to try to advance themselves. These are students. Because of the advancement of adult education in the communities and the push for home ownership, some people have taken on debt to obtain a home. Now, because they are enrolled as students in certain programs, they are required to move. In some cases, they have to give up their homes. But, if they don't pay off the debt, this follows them around for life.
Is this category of people, students, being looked at in terms of your review?
Supplementary To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Morin.
Further Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Don Morin Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Madam Speaker. This issue of students has been raised to me many times and in many different areas of the Northwest Territories. For example, if they were living in public housing today and they wanted to go to Arctic College in Iqaluit or Fort Smith, they would have to give up their public housing and move there. A lot of people don't want to do that because there is a long waiting list for public housing.
But, under the new rent scale, the housing authority would sub-lease their unit while they are going to school, so they don't have the cost of that unit and they get their unit back. And also, through the access home ownership programs, their payments would drop right down to the minimum because they are living on student financial assistance and that assistance would not be assessed as income because it is only enough money for them to go to school and live.
The other program we have a major problem with still is the rural and remote housing program, a CMHC program that we administer. A lot of those houses are in the Delta area. In this program, people were asked to pay 25 per cent of their salary for 25 years, or not longer. That program is very hard for us to administer. At the present time, I am getting a legal question answered from the Department of Justice to see whether or not we can give that program back to CMHC, because CMHC has been very inflexible and has not agreed to the recommendations we have put forward to them. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell
Supplementary, Mr. Koe.
Supplementary To Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Question 266-12(6): Rental Arrears Owed To Housing Associations
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 560
Fred Koe Inuvik
Mahsi. On the issue of the rural and remote program, you mentioned that you would like to give this back to CMHC. But there are still some people who have some of these units and debts they have incurred. That debt now prevents them from entering new programs because of the black mark on their credit. I'm wondering if we could advance the review of this to help those people who have these long, outstanding debts from these old housing programs.
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