Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The law is that a private landlord would have to give three months notice and are allowed to change their rent once a year. But because we have what they call a "rental subsidy" -- public housing -- we don't have to give the three-month notice. Our leases with our tenants are month to month. So it only requires one month. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why is it that the Housing Corporation has to give just one month's notice when the GNWT is required to give three months? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my understanding that if you refer to staff housing compared to social housing, there is a difference. It's social housing, which is subsidized housing, and it only requires one month. The leases are month to month. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a concern in this area because in one of my communities there are something like 60 people on a waiting list for public housing. This government has a monopoly in the small communities on houses available for rent because there aren't private housing markets. I don't consider that fair, especially when only a small

number of access houses can be built in smaller communities to help some of the people who can afford their own homes. How can the Minister implement a rent scale that will force individual tenants to pay rent?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member says, there are over 60 people in one of her communities -- and I don't know which community she is talking about -- on a waiting list and that is one of the justifications for increasing rents in the communities. There are people in the communities who can afford to operate and maintain their own homes. The Housing Corporation has many different programs and public housing is one of the programs. Public housing is designed for low-income people, people with very little income. If people have small incomes then they will pay very little rent. We are encouraging those people who can afford to own their own homes to get into their own homes to free up space for those 60 people on the waiting list. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's exactly my point. In the small communities, the only houses available for rent are Housing Corporation public housing. A lot of families are living together, not by choice, but because there is a lack of housing available. There isn't a private market and the access homes delivered by this government are very limited. How can the Minister justify implementing this rent scale?

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year, in the allocation of units across the Northwest Territories -- and, as Members know, the units are allocated according to need -- over 40 access units were not taken up in communities that had artificial caps on rent. There is no encouragement for people to get into their own homes if they make up to $120,000 a year or even $80,000 a year and pay $100 a month rent. So, what we are doing is encouraging people to get into their own homes to free up public housing for low-income people who actually need it. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Allooloo.