Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is a big change in the way we've approached some of the delivery of new housing. We used to take the approach where we would look at the clients and their needs and either look at delivering units through either our Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program or the Independent Housing Program. We've now taken the approach where we are going to actually build the houses right now under the supported lease and we have 108 units that we plan to build with this $20.7 million. Then folks can lease that program for a period of time, get their credit in line and established, get some stability in their income and then they could qualify under the IHP program or the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program to become successful homeowners. Thank you.
Debates of Feb. 7th, 2006
This is page numbers 793 - 842 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 4th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jane Groenewegen Hay River South
Thank you. I recognize it now. I just didn't recognize it under that particular headline. It's something we have been discussing all along here. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yesterday, I spoke to the Supported Lease Program and I asked if it was going to affect some of the other programs and I didn't get an answer then, but I see right now with all the other numbers going down that it is going to affect some of the other programs. I have been doing some research on it and I am going to do a bit more research on it and speak to different folks on it before I can lend my support to something like this. I would like to know how long this program is going to run. Secondly, who will be responsible for the maintenance? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Supported Lease Program, before we sell the unit to an individual, we are responsible, as a landlord, for the maintenance on that unit. So when the family puts themselves in a position to be able to buy the unit, or they wish to buy the unit, then it becomes their responsibility as a homeowner. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Okay. That answered one of my questions. Until they want to buy the unit, the Housing Corporation is responsible and I am assuming that it will be the LHO maintenance department that will carry out this maintenance. Then I asked how long do we plan on running this program before we maybe switch to another program? You are saying that after two years if they qualify for EDAP, then they will get some EDAP funding, but when you look at your EDAP funding, it's way down. So will the LHOs be doing the maintenance? If they are, I hope it's reflected a couple of pages over in maybe a small increase to the money that you budget to the LHOs because you keep giving them more and more responsibility and it seems like they are getting less and less money, the LHOs and the districts. You said you would build 108 houses, but I saw the figure 112 somewhere. I would like to know if that also would include buying units, or is it strictly build?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If there are opportunities in some communities to buy good quality energy-efficient homes, that's one of the things that our district people will consider. In other cases where we have a significant lack of supply, we would be pursuing new construction-type units.
As far as the Member's point about we don't have any money left in the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program, I just want to point out if an individual buys one of the supported lease units under that program, the financing they would get from the bank would come back to he Housing Corporation for that portion of their first mortgage. So there is no issue with not having funds set aside under the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to Mr. Anderson for clearing that up for me. I asked if the LHOs will be responsible for the maintenance for the first couple of years until the owners take possession, if they qualify. If they are doing maintenance on the unit, I hope it's reflected in the money that is going to the local housing authorities. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sorry, I forgot to answer that question. Certainly our first priority would be to offer that opportunity to the local housing organizations. If they want to take on that responsibility, they will be funded for it. That would be paid through the lease payments that would be made under this program. If they don't want to do it, then we will look at other community organizations to carry out that responsibility. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am starting to understand this program a bit better. It seems like it's something that I just found out about yesterday during the Minister's opening statements and I have been asking some questions into the program. Like I said before, I will ask a few more questions and just make sure that I am happy with this program before I can lend any kind of support to it. I just want to know what brought this on. Have we run out of clients for the other programs? Were the LHOs, the district offices consulted on something like this? Did they have much input into this? I will leave that as my final question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The goal at the end of the day under this program is to help families become successful homeowners, so this is one step in that process. Some people can move into homeownership to make the transition to homeownership quicker than other folks can. So this is an opportunity for them to get used to the idea of being a homeowner. It takes them out of the public housing stream and, at the end of the day, we want to promote people owning their own homes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
I agree with Mr. Anderson. I have always been an advocate of trying to get people into their own homes. I would like to know what would happen after two years if they have shown that they can't qualify for a mortgage. Do they move back into public housing? Do they go back on a waiting list? I am all for trying to get people into their own homes. I have said that for years and I will say it again. I want to know what happens if they can't meet the criteria after two years. Do they move out into public housing and does someone else move into their unit and have their two-year turn? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Anderson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are in the business of housing people and if they want to remain in the unit on a lease arrangement, then we are prepared to continue with that as long as the family is prepared to meet their obligations. Thank you.