Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We do use different scenarios. CNIT is one of them and we also look at what your income is. I believe the threshold for this program is $50,000.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks a lot. I'm just wondering, are there other funds available that these people can access to repair their units? I'll go back to a time, especially in a case in Tuktoyaktuk where I recall making a Member's statement back when I first got elected. They were promised that the department would help repair the cost before they actually bought the unit, and to this day they still haven't received, although they've tried to get repair funding, they still haven't received that. Is there any alternative that they can access for the repair program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we do have several programs with regards to IHP, the Independent Housing Program, and the ERP program, Emergency Repair Program. Again, it's based on an application-based program and there's only so

much money that's in the pool for programs. I think because of that, we find a lot of people apply over and over, but it's based on the people who are in core need in which a lot of times you hear the frustration of the people who have to apply time and time again, but the money is allocated based on the needs. We do try to assist those people in the highest core need. It is application based and there is a form that you determine if you are eligible or not. There are those other programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll let you determine whether or not I can ask this, but I'm just wondering if the department has ever considered going back to the Homeownership Assistance Program, better known as HAP, that was way back in the early '80's. That was based on sweat and equity and individuals had to get their own land, et cetera. Have they ever considered that again? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have a program, which is IHP, which is Independent Housing Program, but again there is a sweat equity component to that, where the individuals go out and get the land and develop it properly and have the logs or whatnot to build a log home. Then the government will come in and give you the remaining items that you need to complete the construction of the home, such as your heating system, your windows, doors, roofing material and whatnot. So there is that program with regard to I believe it's a log housing initiative program we do have. We still have that type of program where you do put sweat equity in by individuals going out, getting the logs and bringing them in, putting them on the lot and then the program kicks in after that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Next on the list I have Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a couple of quick questions for the Minister, just so we can carry on with detail. Just in reference to the mortgage system that the Housing Corporation has, you were just talking about the various thresholds that the government incorporates into their eligibility requirements. I just want to ask a question on the Canadian national income threshold. Is that the basis for determining the affordability issues and applications for everybody in the NWT that applies for any program?

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The answer is yes, we do use the CNIT program, which is based on no one should be paying more than 30 percent of their total income towards housing, their shelter costs. So we do use the CNIT number based on the different zones and different type of calculations that it is based on that. Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Villeneuve.

Okay. Next question about this threshold. Is there any indexing with these thresholds in reference to the various communities' cost of living, cost of utilities and cost of food? Are any of those considerations indexed on an annual basis and applied the CNIT, because there doesn't seem to be too many changes happening with these thresholds? They just seem to be sitting up in the $70,000 range with first-time homeowners. I'm just wondering if that's updated regularly or what's the case?

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, they are reviewed every two years and, if the Member would like, I do have information on all the different regions and how the formula is based. Basically it is the farther north you are, the more forgiveness you're given. It is broken down by districts and regions. If the Member would like, I can circulate that to the Members. It also takes into account all the different adjustments that are made with regard to the power costs, heating costs, taxes, monthly insurance costs. They do have it broken down by each category and it's also broken down by the types of houses you do live in -- a two-bedroom, a three-bedroom, a four-bedroom -- so then it gives you an idea of what, it's clear what you will have to pay compared to other areas. So if the Members would like, I could circulate that for the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Sure, I'd like that information circulated. I'm sure all the Members would be interested in what the variances are with each community. Just to get back to the threshold issue. Why does the government, well, why is it updated every two years, for one thing, and why are person's overtime or something included in the CNIT when it's a one-time thing and doesn't happen on an annual basis?

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe because there isn't that dramatic a change between the one or two years. Also we do, every four years, we do a total needs survey so we can compare what we do in those surveys. But these are done every two years. The reason they're not done annually is probably because of the cost of doing them every year. I think because the amount of change that happens over a one-year period versus over a two-year period is probably easier to measure a two-year period than one year. Also in our needs survey, which are done every four years, can tell us pretty well how much of a change has occurred over that time period. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess what I'm thinking about are things like the change in the new heating fuel pricing or PPD's new policy changes on full cost recovery for fuel. Some of these communities are going to be experiencing big, big increases in costs of heating fuel and I think that would have a big impact on whether they want to consider homeownership or not, or

even buying one of the trailer units that I'm getting feedback on. One of the tenants has purchased one of those market initiative units and she's already dished out over $1,000 in heating fuel in the past two months, and these are energy-efficient units, apparently, and it's only been in the 10 to 15 below range for the last two months. I think that's pretty high. The costs associated with other things, like the ferry operations and things like that, fluctuates a lot for costs of goods and services in the remote communities, especially if you have to hire someone from Yellowknife to fly into Lutselk'e to do some plumbing work. The cost associated with that because the ferry's out and he can't get his supplies at the cheap rate and he has to buy them locally and all that, those are big changes that happen on an annual basis and I think it only makes sense to make sure that the corporation has reviewed them at least every year to ensure that they are fair. It only makes sense, I guess.

Just getting back to the income threshold thing, I know I had some clients apply for homeownership to be denied approval because of their overtime that they did in one year was included in their income affordability issue, I guess. That put them just over the threshold. I just want to ask the Minister again, is the overtime supposed to be included in that and if it is and it changes from one year to the next, like for firefighters for instance -- some firefighters do a lot of overtime one year and then the next year they don't do any -- where's the balance of that for new homeowners in those seasonal positions or positions that require fluctuations in hours and stuff?