Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about Plan 2000, the NWT Housing Corporation's plan to build 2000 homes. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the basic principles behind this initiative to get those who can afford to maintain their own homes into homes of their own. However, Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that while this program does exactly that, gets people who can afford to maintain their own homes into a
home, this program does not impact or free up social housing to the extent that Members may believe.
I would like to take a moment to site some statistics on the Down Payment Assistance Program and the extent of the Down Payment Assistance Program. Of the 397 units that have been built so far under Plan 2000, only 158 have been for clients who have moved out of social housing. This translates into only 40 percent. Some regions, such as the North Slave, have built 93 percent of the units for people presently occupying social housing, freeing up 27 public housing units. Other regions, such as the Baffin and Keewatin, are around 35 percent, which translates into 52 freed up social housing units in the Baffin and 23 social housing units in the Keewatin.
Plan 2000 is a good program and is meeting its stated goals. I would however, Mr. Speaker, wish to encourage the NWT Housing Corporation to make sure as many of the families as possible accessing this program, are in fact, people presently residing in social housing. We must also, Mr. Speaker, make sure that the federal government does not abdicate its responsibility to the people of the Northwest Territories. We must impress upon the federal government that any successes resulting from Plan 2000, will not significantly diminish the ongoing need for social housing units. The Northwest Territories has a young population, limited economic opportunities and a social safety net stretched to its breaking point.
We must ensure that young people of the Northwest Territories have access to adequate, affordable housing. It is only by increasing the total available number of social housing units that we can address the serious social conditions that exist in some of our smaller communities and improve the health and well-being of our citizens. Thank you.
--Applause.