Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would like to recognize Edith Squirrel from Fort Providence, which is about an hour from here from by air or three hours by driving. I do not see enough people from Providence but I appreciate it. Welcome to the Assembly.

-- Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

The Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, the rent scale for social housing is indeed geared towards income. We do have controls that ensure there is enough money left for the family to be able to pay for food and other expenses. There are adjustments made as there are changes in income. On whether the particular example used by the Member earlier today is possible or not, I could not say. I will ask the Housing Corporation to look at it and analyze it to see if in fact it is possible.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, rather than debating the individual cases, since I do not have the file in front of me, I will say Mr. Dent, the Minister for ECE, Mr. Ng, for Health and Social Services and I have been working over the last few weeks on trying to get better co-ordination for our subsidies for low income families which include the rent scales. We are working on improvements to the system we have. We have made a commitment to report back by July, I believe. I will ensure the suggestion made by the Member is considered.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Evaloarjuk.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. It is important to maintain our traditional culture and to encourage independence from relying on social programs. Some Inuit living in outpost camps do so and make their living traditionally. Earlier today, I received a letter from a member from my constituency who lives in an outpost camp. He informs me he heard on the radio funding for all outpost camps will be cut off in the new fiscal year. He is very

concerned about this possibility. These funds are used for outpost camps to purchase oil and other necessary supplies. Could the Minister indicate whether or not this is in the plans for 1997/98, to cut off those funds? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation ends)

The Minister responsible for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, I too was disturbed by the comments by one of the Members this morning. The only comments I would make is that it is the intention of the Housing Corporation, in a small way, to try to meet the severe housing shortage we have, the overcrowding, the lack of housing, and the poor conditions of the houses in our communities. If you travel to the smaller communities, especially in the remoter regions, what you will find is something totally different than what you see here in Yellowknife. I think the comments made this morning were uncalled for and not factual to what we are trying to do. The initiative we presented as a plan will in fact help 2000 lower to middle income families who can afford the cost of running a house and some mortgage payments, the ability to be more self-reliant, to own their own homes, to pay for their own bills, and thus freeing up the social housing they are occupying now to be used by those in more severe need.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Arlooktoo.

Mr. Speaker, we now have almost 6000 public housing units. I believe the number is around 5800. In the last few years, through the Housing Corporation programs, we built about 1,200 new houses, which have freed up probably half of that number. I would qualify that by saying that I would need to check those numbers. Of the additional 1400, 40 new houses we will build in the next three years, I would hope that would free up half of that number again to be used by those in more need.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.