Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My understanding is that the cost zones were updated by Social Services on March 7 of this year. I started using that comparison just about a year ago, I believe it was, and continue to do so because they are very close to having the same cost of living. They both have very high costs of living, one is in zone seven and one is in zone eight. That adjustment will be made, but we must remember that just to compare two communities, the maximum rent in Tuktoyaktuk is $1,927 right now and in Pangnirtung it is $453. In one community, they pay 20.1 per cent of their shelter costs. In another, they pay 8.1 per cent.
I know the Member has some concerns about how we are going to implement the new rent scale, but let me assure the Member that it is in the plan to phase it in. It is in the plan to talk to communities, to talk to community members and tenants. We must also remember what we're here for. We are here to assist people into the programs who need it. Social housing is for low income people, and we have to try to develop the home ownership program and work with the higher income people to get into home ownership.
We have waiting lists in every community of low income people who desperately need public housing. And we have people in public housing who can afford to run their own house. I agree with the Member that we're going to have to work with those people and assist them to get into their own units. We have to counsel them, I agree with him. But, we can no longer continue to subsidize high income people in public housing when we have so many of our poor people needing that public housing. I think we have to try to treat all people fairly and equally and that's what we are attempting to do here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.