Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
NWT Development Corporation and RWED Housing Market Development Strategy
Committee members are very interested in seeing the results of the proposed strategy between the Housing Corporation, the NWT Development Corporation and the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. The committee understands that this joint strategy is aimed at developing private housing markets in communities that can sustain a viable housing market.
It is apparent to committee members that caution must be exercised in the development of a housing market creation strategy. There is a danger of creating an artificial market and thus the strategy becoming another "hidden government subsidy". Care will have to be taken to ensure that this does not occur.
Balancing Affordability and Economic Diversification
Committee members held a wide-ranging discussion on the need to balance economic diversification against the desperate requirement for social housing in our smaller communities.
In the near future, the committee notes that block funding may be an imminent part of self-government agreements. As a consequence, it becomes incumbent upon the government and the NWT Housing Corporation to develop a policy that balances the need for northern spending and support for northern manufacturing against the desire to acquire the greatest amount of goods and services at the lowest prices.
Committee members hope that the deputy minister's working group on Procurement Policy can possibly provide direction for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation in the years ahead. Committee members look forward to the report of the working group.
Energy Conservation Strategy
Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs were puzzled with the exclusion of an Energy Conservation Strategy in this business plan. The committee notes that an Energy Conservation Strategy was an integral part of the previous two business plans. It was further noted that, the Housing Corporation, in its presentation, provided information that projected skyrocketing energy costs. Members could not reconcile the Housing Corporation's decision to abandon an Energy Conservation Strategy with present fiscal pressures on the Corporation.
Members were pleased that the Minister agreed with the committee's position that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation needs an Energy Conservation Strategy. Committee members look forward to reviewing this strategy in the next business planning cycle in October 2000.
Targets, Goals and Base-line Information
As with other departments that the Standing Committee on Social Programs reviewed during this budget cycle, there is disappointment on the part of committee members with the lack of clear targets and goals for the Corporation.
Committee members pointed out that the Housing Corporation had goals and targets that were attained. However, the committee notes that these goals and targets were not appropriately reported in the business plan. Examples included the Corporation's plan for dealing with the building-piling crisis in the Inuvik area and the plans for decreasing core need in the communities.
Committee members believe that the discussions held with the Minister and his officials led to greater understanding on the part of the Corporation as to the quantity and quality of information that the committee expects to see when setting goals and targets.
Committee members did appreciate the department assigning measurable targets to their goals in correspondence received by the committee subsequent to the discussions with the Minister and his officials. Committee members look forward to the next business plan for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation reflecting that understanding.
Action Plan For the Housing Corporation Versus Core Needs
Members were pleased to see that the Housing Corporation had developed a four-year delivery plan that covered capital acquisitions. However, members could ascertain no reason why these delivery plans could not be included in the business plan instead of being provided to the Committee as part of an overhead presentation. Committee members are concerned that vital information that should be provided to the general public is not available by virtue of its non-inclusion in the official business plan. This is an issue for other departments as well and the Accountability and Oversight Committee will be making a recommendation concerning this issue.
Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs could find no direct correlation between the four-year action plan and the core needs identified in the 2000 Housing Needs Survey.
If committee members are to believe that progress is being made in meeting the core needs in the communities there has to be a direct linkage between these two documents.
The discussion between the committee and the Minister and his officials focused on how information on repairs and new construction could be presented to the committee. Currently, the information is hidden in the grants to the local housing organizations. Members of the committee were pleased to hear that the activities of the local housing organizations are laid out in business plans that the LHOs provide to the Housing Corporation. Members look forward to the next business plan cycle and receiving this information presented and linked to the community core needs. The committee thanks the Minister for this commitment.
The committee did appreciate that, subsequent to the commitment by the Minister, the committee received copies of the capital plan and the pages from the 2000 Housing Needs Survey that identified core need in the communities. This still does not address the committee's concern of whether the Corporation is reducing core need in the communities. The committee members feel that they need to know how many units are being repaired and replaced in the communities in each year and how this affects the overall core need in the community. The information provided by the Corporation does not accomplish this. Members hope that the Corporation will be able to provide this information in the next business planning cycle.
Quality of Information in Business Plan and Main Estimates
Members appreciated the effort that the Housing Corporation put into ensuring that all of the additional information requested by the standing committee was provided.
Members were also impressed with the quality of information that the Corporation included in its affirmative action report. Committee members were also pleased with the success that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has realized in achieving affirmative action parity.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the report of the standing committee.