This is page numbers 85 - 100 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 2nd 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 community.

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Further Return To Question 69-13(2): Assessment Of Nwt Development Corporation
Question 69-13(2): Assessment Of NWT Development Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 94

Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. We will keep in mind the jobs that the NWT Development Corporation, in partnership with the communities, have created throughout the Northwest Territories. We will keep that in mind when we are developing our business plans.

The NWT Development Corporation, we all agreed on the principles in this House when we formed that. I still believe in those principles that in order to get some economy going in our small, level II and III communities, we need a vehicle to do that and we need a driving force to work with our communities. So I'm of the fundamental principle that we do have to subsidize a certain portion, but it should also run well and manage properly. If we say, for example, we're going to create so many jobs in Whale Cove for so many dollars, then we better do that for those amount of dollars. It cannot be allowed to be doubled or tripled. It has to be managed well, as well. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 69-13(2): Assessment Of Nwt Development Corporation
Question 69-13(2): Assessment Of NWT Development Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 94

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 19th, 1996

Page 94

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Ng. In my opening statement, I mentioned the Supplementary Appropriation, No. 2. Special warrants were given for $414,500 for a purchase of individuals' houses in Tuktoyaktuk of $166,400; in Arctic Bay, Broughton Island and Norman Wells for $248,000. My question is with regard to the practice of this government, in the case of Tuktoyaktuk, apparently the unit that was purchased by the government which was a HAP unit which was given to the individual from the Housing Corporation of the Northwest Territories at a cost of whatever. With the intention of purchasing it back for $166,000, basically you could have built yourself two houses. I think at that cost, for the shortage of housing, I would like to know how long this practice has been going on and how many other units which were HAP units are being purchased back by the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Ng.

Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 94

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the purchase of employees' housing units has been going on as long as the policy has been in existence, where employees move to a different community and they don't have the opportunity to dispose of their units in a timely fashion or at the value that they want within their community. I can go back and check on that for the honourable Member.

As far as the specifics on how many of those units were HAP units, that again is a very detailed question. I could try to ascertain those numbers for the Member and report back to him. Thank you.

Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 94

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to a HAP unit, I believe there's a residential time period in which you have to live within the community for so many years in order to acquire these things. You stated that the individuals have moved into the community, got a house, and then they had to leave. I wonder if that element could also be look at. If that's the case of people moving in, getting a HAP unit, selling it and leave, I think there's a time frame that they have to fall within.

Supplementary To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ng.

Further Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the HAP program, as all Members know, is no longer in existence. It ended a few years ago. But a majority of the clients of HAP units were community members who were originally from those communities, so they may have happened to have been government employees within those communities and have chosen to relocate to another community. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Krutko, your final supplementary.

Supplementary To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to have the Minister make an attempt to have something come back to this House with regard to the possibility of a review of this process, the policy that you guys are following. You're saying this thing has been in effect for a number of years, and I believe it should be reviewed with the financial restraints that we're under and also the need for housing by other clients. We have a large number of individuals in a lot of communities where there are long waiting lists. In some cases, there are 70 people waiting to get a house, and I believe this is not fair to the other clients in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ng.

Further Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll take the honourable Member's suggestion and possibly recommend that a review of the existing policy be completed. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Question 70-13(2): Purchase Of Hap Houses By Housing Corporation
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 95

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

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

Mark Evaloarjuk Amittuq

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of MACA. Someone from Hall Beach requested that I ask about the municipality's services when there's a surplus within their budget for water trucks, and the surplus is given back to the government. They want them in their own communities. Is the Minister aware of this? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mrs. Thompson.

Manitok Thompson Aivilik

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know the details of this incident and I will get back to the Member as soon as I have information. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mrs. Thompson, are you taking the question as notice? The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions.

---Interjection

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Can we have some order, please? Mr. Evaloarjuk, when a Minister says they don't know the details and they're taking the question as notice, then the Member cannot ask another question until they receive a response to the question taken as notice. The next person is Mrs. Groenewegen.

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week in the House, I asked the Minister of Housing what the outstanding arrears are owed to the Housing Corporation through the local housing authorities. He took my question as notice, so I'm going to continue on with my questioning today on that subject.

The Minister reported that the amount was over $5 million, so I would assume from that that from time to time, people living in public housing have difficulty paying their rent. I think we could also assume that some tenants in public housing have personal problems which preclude them from paying their rent, and those problems could be any number of things.

Recently, a situation in Hay River arose where a tenant in public housing had to be evicted from their unit through the courts. The point was that the tenant ended up having to be accommodated in other housing in Hay River at the expense of the Department of Social Services. Is there anything that can be done within the department to assist people in paying their rent so that they don't lose their rental unit because of personal problems? Is there some initiative that can be taken to deal with that, prior to it coming to the housing authorities having to take legal action to evict tenants? I want to add one footnote on there, that the other side of that is that we do have a $5 million debt and the people in the housing authorities are doing their jobs in trying to collect those rental arrears, I understand that. But is there anything that can be done before it gets to that adversarial and court-type eviction? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Ng.

Return To Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 96

Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, local housing associations and authorities do a lot of tenant counselling, particularly as it pertains to rental arrears. When individuals find themselves getting in arrears, usually it starts off at one or two months and then it starts to build. The housing authority or housing association staff will go and speak with the individuals, first of all, to try to make some kind of arrangements to pay off some of these arrears. Failing that, there are different progressive actions that are taken. If the individual makes an effort to pay off their arrears, then no further action is taken. But if it were to escalate, in extreme situations where eviction orders are requested and received through the rental officer and subsequently through the court system, it's generally as a result of tenants refusing to pay and not trying to make any effort towards rectifying their arrears. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 96

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 96

Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm aware that there are tenant relation officers in several of the housing authority offices. They would attempt to counsel the tenants, but if there is some other factor that is affecting the tenant's ability or willingness to pay their rent, I don't know if the tenant relations officer would delve into things like household budgeting or say if the person had a problem with alcohol or gambling or something like that, I don't think the tenant relations officer would delve into those areas. Is there any cooperation between the Housing Corporation and the department's services in addressing some of those broader issues which might affect their ability to pay their rent? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Question 72-13(2): Financial Assistance For Housing Tenants
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 96

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Ng.