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

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

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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.

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 561

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 561

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We're looking into returning that program as well as the debt to CMHC. If they don't want to be flexible with their program, then they can go through the headache of collecting money themselves, rather than putting us through it. Possibly what we can look at is something like the SHAG program, an old program; the very first home ownership program the Housing Corporation ever came up with. If you were in the SHAG program, then you are still eligible for an access program. People got $10,000 and $15,000 in those days, that was it. They built inadequate housing. So, maybe we could look at addressing the issue the Member brought up by making people eligible, even though they were in the old program. 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 561

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin South, Mr. Pudlat.

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Finance, regarding income tax returns. Of those people who have to fill out income tax forms, there are a lot of unilingual people. They have problems filling out forms. A lot of people have questions with respect to this. Many often have to deal with income tax accountants. I wonder if there can be a process for unilingual people who need assistance with their income tax forms, so they can deal with people who can help them. Can these problems be corrected for those unilingual people who need assistance? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon. Madam Speaker, I have raised the issue of unilingual people, particularly in Mr. Pudlat's area, with the Minister of National Revenue. I went as far as to provide a copy to the Minister of letters that I have sent to Mr. Pudlat in syllabics, so he would better understand.

What happened last year is that the people of the federal government went into some of the small communities and trained people in the communities to fill in tax forms. I'm not sure that they paid particular attention to the unilingual people in those communities. So, as we are making arrangements with them to go into the smaller communities again for the next fiscal year, I will draw their attention to the fact that they should look at the unilingual aspect of some of the people in the communities. Thank you.

Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.

Supplementary To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

Kenoayoak Pudlat Baffin South

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate his response. A lot of times the returns of unilingual people don't get in on time. When their returns don't get in as they should, they start getting questions from Revenue Canada. So, Madam Speaker, a lot of time the people who are filling in the forms often get calls from Revenue Canada and when the calls come in, they have problems with discussing these things with Revenue Canada. I wonder if there could be a process where someone could help these people who need assistance with interpreting when they discuss things with Revenue Canada.

Supplementary To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, that's a good point. If someone is calling from southern Canada to a unilingual person, obviously, there isn't going to be much information exchanged. I will raise that issue with the federal Minister and we will see if he can do something, either with some support in the community or with regard to having someone, at that time, who could...

Further Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Sorry, it appears that Mr. Pudlat is not receiving translation. Are you able to hear? Proceed, Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, as I was saying, I think Mr. Pudlat has raised a good point. I will raise that with the federal Minister and maybe they can offer some assistance to people, so they can at least be told of the requirements in their own language. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Question 267-12(6): Assistance In Preparation Of Income Tax Returns
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 561

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Last February, at the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre, a plan was revealed for the development of a capital city site. In what way is her department involved in developing that plan?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.