Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS there are serious problems associated with the transfer of responsibility for the administration of social housing from the NWT Housing Corporation to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment;

AND WHEREAS residents of the Northwest Territories living in social housing are being inconvenienced by the disconnect between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, which calculates the amount of subsidy, and the local housing authority, which determines the unit's rent;

AND WHEREAS in the absence of centralized government service centres, some tenants attempting to pay rent on their social housing are compelled to attend at least two government offices, and possibly a banking institution and, as well, are not able to pay their rent in a single visit;

AND WHEREAS the inability of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to calculate subsidies in a timely manner and pass that information on to the local housing authorities has had a downstream effect and has negatively affected the cash flow of local housing authorities and may impact on their ability to maintain their units;

AND WHEREAS the local housing authorities have in the past demonstrated their competency in calculating subsidy eligibility and rental rates;

AND WHEREAS it would be desirable for there to be one-stop access for social housing clients attempting to pay their rent;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable member for Range Lake, that the responsibility for the administration of social housing be once again placed under the control of the NWT Housing Corporation;

AND FURTHER, that the responsibility for determining the methodology of calculating social housing subsidies remain with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.