Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Finance Minister Floyd Roland tells us the NWT is about to become a key economic driver for Canada. While this has many positive aspects, opportunities and potentials for us, there is also a considerable cost to a rapidly increasing cost of living in a very hot economy. For instance, in Yellowknife, getting a place to live at a reasonable cost has got to be the major issue facing the opportunities for growth and stability for this community. Yellowknife continues to be a magnet community, Mr. Speaker. I hear from people who come to live here from many other parts of the Northwest Territories and Canada. They have moved here for education, jobs, services and other attractive amenities of the city, but they continue to have difficulty in finding reasonable and appropriate accommodation.
The survey of average spending by community types shows that spending on shelter in Yellowknife is significantly higher than $19,000 a year, compared to the rest of Canada at $11,000, or the rest of the NWT communities, Mr. Speaker, at $10,000 a year. On all accounts, the cost of living in Yellowknife significantly exceeds that of the rest of the NWT and Canada at about $8,000 over the yearly average.
Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife Housing Authority has some 100 applications from people needing low cost housing. In 1999, the monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment here was $986. Last year, it was $1,302; a 32 percent increase, Mr. Speaker. All levels of government, federal, municipal and territorial, can and should be assisting to a much greater degree in increasing the affordable housing stock.
Mr. Speaker, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has largely backed out of its mandate to be the national leader for affordable housing, so what can we do here on our own in the NWT? Across our governments, I think things are possible. Municipal governments can look at zoning and other regulatory aspects. Designers and builders can look at the way we have a tendency to blast and fill. Can we do things that are going to do a better job of fitting in with the geography? Mr. Speaker, I believe we can all be more innovative and really make a difference for housing. I am going to have questions, too, for the Minister at the appropriate time today. Thank you.
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