Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to follow up on a question asked earlier by Mr. McLeod. My concern, especially with the harmonization and the direction that the NWT Housing Corporation seems to be going, is we have to realize that the whole idea of housing the Northwest Territories was based on social housing.

I think the word social should basically give you some idea that it was based on the social dependency on the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide services to the people of the Northwest Territories because of the high cost of living and the social conditions people lived in, in the Northwest Territories.

I have a real problem when we hear about people being evicted or people being told that they have to either find employment, get a job or whatever, and then we turn around and take 25 or 30 percent of their wages. Or if we find out that they are making too much, we tell them to go and find housing elsewhere.

My question to the Minister is, where is the whole idea of social housing in the NWT Housing Corporation, knowing that the Housing Corporation was developed through CMHC to provide social housing to the residents of the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to provide an answer in the context of again, we heard earlier about the declining CMHC dollars. Our long-term objective, Mr. Chairman, is to put people into their own affordable housing, either through the sale of SOPHI, sale of public housing, or there are a number of home-ownership programs that we support. The on the land program is one that is starting to take some high interest. Self-built and self-designed is another concept that has been raised on a number of occasions. I agree that there are impacts on individuals.

The key, I believe, is to put the people into home-ownership where they begin to determine the type of lifestyle they want to live, not how we should dictate that to them and put them at risk of being evicted because maybe they had a late payment, and suddenly have to go through the legal process. That to me is certainly not good enough grounds to have people homeless. As the Minister responsible for homelessness, I have to also be cognizant of that as well. I am very aware and I want to make the Members aware that we want to look at the full range of programs we have through the Housing Corporation to accommodate those who are in core need. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. I recognize Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have several questions for the Minister. The first one is, could the Minister tell me if there is a difference between the programs delivered to communities that are considered market communities versus communities that are considered non-market?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes in the definition there is a difference.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Mr. McLeod.

I thank the Minister for his lengthy and detailed answer. I would then like to ask if he could tell me if market disruption applies to both non-market and market.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, I am of the firm belief that there is not. In the context of trying to promote home-ownership and housing market developments in the small communities there are very few people who can actually afford a full mortgage. Thus we promote the social housing programs. For instance, in the city here there are private developers who can access conventional bank loans to develop markets. If you compare that to a non-tax-based community most banks will not step in, so we feel there is an obligation for the Housing Corporation to fund the majority of those projects. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister has indicated that the NWT Housing Corporation does not have a market disruption policy. Could I ask the Minister if he feels that the business incentive policy applies to the NWT Housing Corporation?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was asked that question in the House previously and yes, we do comply with the BIP policy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is difficult to understand that this government, through some of the funding programs in other departments, will not fund initiatives that are considered market disruptive. However, the NWT Housing Corporation does not have the same policy. Could the Minister explain to me why that is any different from providing, for example, business development funds that operate under a market disruption policy?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will ask the president to reply to that specific question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister or corporation reassure me that the NWT Housing Corporation will not be providing any commercial units in the regional centres or Yellowknife?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Allen.