Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Chair, I am pleased to present the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's main estimates for the fiscal year 2005-06.
The overall budget of the corporation for 2005-06 is $105.966 million. The total GNWT contribution towards this budget is $35.956 million. This is a substantial reduction from last year and is due primarily to the transfer of public housing subsidies to Education, Culture and Employment, effective April 1, 2005. Removing this transfer from the equation shows an overall decrease of 3.3 percent from the 2004-05 Main Estimates.
Madam Chair, during 2005-06, the NWT Housing Corporation is planning to increase its rental housing portfolio. The corporation will spend $9.320 million to construct 56 units in communities across the Northwest Territories. Included in this allocation are eight barrier-free units for persons with disabilities in Yellowknife...
---Applause