Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today about the new housing initiative raised by my colleague, the Honourable John Todd in his budget speech. The Accelerated Homeownership Program initiative is estimated to provide approximately 1,000 new homes. The initiative could inject an estimated $40 to $50 million of housing to meet the immediate demands of homeownership assistance over the next two years. This initiative builds upon the PLAN 2000 initiative announced last year.

The Accelerated Homeownership Program will be directed toward all northerners who can afford to be homeowners. This initiative will utilize the Housing Corporation's Expanded Downpayment Assistance and Independent Housing Programs to allow even more clients to be served in a shorter time period.

There are a number of benefits under this initiative:

The increased ability to serve even more clients under the corporation's Expanded Downpayment Assistance and Independent Housing Programs. These programs have been very popular, with the number of applications significantly exceeding what the Housing Corporation can provide; and

Low income families in the north will have the opportunity to move into social housing units made available by higher income tenants who become homeowners. Also, any GNWT staff housing units made available because the occupants choose to be homeowners will be transferred to social housing thus increasing the social housing stock.

The construction of the 1,000 homes will produce economic spinoffs, particularly jobs, in the communities. The most important benefit, however, will be the health and stability of families in need who receive housing units as former higher income tenants move into their own homes.

Mr. Speaker, the 1996 housing needs survey showed that there was a core housing need of over 4,300 households, many of these are aboriginal families. The Department of Indian Affairs, while commenting on the severe housing need, did not make any commitments to help solve the housing problems in the north in their response to the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I was very disappointed; this is an aboriginal housing problem. I plan to continue my efforts to make this point with the federal government, focusing on the fact that investments in housing in the North will play a large part in curbing the growing aboriginal health and social problems.

Mr. Speaker, we know that adequate, suitable and affordable housing is important to the north because overcrowding and inadequate housing conditions are the root cause of many of our health and social problems. The GNWT decided we cannot wait for the federal government to provide assistance to deal with our growing housing problem. Therefore, the GNWT has stepped in to provide innovative solutions now before we have a problem that goes beyond a crisis.