Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few more general comments to make. I am glad to hear the Minister has recognized that there is a need in the area of training and is identifying some of the potential solutions. However, I want to raise an issue that has really affected my community, and that is regarding housing.
Public housing is an area where there is a problem. I am not sure how many people are on income support or have been on income support. However, they are all low-income earners and at last count, we had six people evicted, who had to move out of their houses. I am told that we are going to see another 12 in the next month. Following that, we have another 30 on the list. We have roughly 50 people, 50 families in the community of Fort Providence that have been or are targeted for eviction. That is roughly 25 percent of all the households in that community. It is a real concern.
Until now, seniors have not had to pay rent. With the new harmonization strategy, they are targeted to pay rent. To me, it does not make sense. I do not think the whole strategy was initiated to bring additional hardship on the seniors in the communities. I wanted to know, because I am looking at some of the information that has been put out there by the public and some of the information that has been provided to us, the charts show a good portion, a large percentage, I think 83 percent would see reduction in rents.
I do not understand that. Seniors are now going to have to start paying rent. People receiving income support will see no change. Students will have to start paying rent. Is it because we are looking at reducing the minimum requirement of minimum monthly payment from $32 down to $20 that we are going to see such a big reduction, so many people will see a reduction in their rent? Is that what we are talking about, the people who are currently paying $32 and will now only have to pay $20 and we are supposed to stand up and cheer for that? Is that what we are talking about here?