Thank you, Madam Chair. It is noted that since the review of the last main estimates, the Housing Corporation has been resourced to increase the number of employees involved in the development and acquisition of land to build housing units at both the headquarters and regional level.

It is hoped that these new positions and the importance that the Housing Corporation is placing on acquiring the necessary lands to deliver their programming will result in more building lots in the communities.

However, it must be made clear to aboriginal and local governments that they have a role to play and must cooperate in the development of lots in their communities. The committee understands that under the northern housing strategy, if lots cannot be developed in a community for whatever reason, the corporation will have no choice but to move new housing to communities that do have available lots.

This issue will be mentioned in the transition report to the next Assembly so that progress can be measured.

Mortgage Arrears

Since 1995, the figures on mortgages in arrears have gone from 40 clients owing $106,164 to 463 clients owing $6,853,539. This is a disturbing trend that shows no sign of abating. If we do not take immediate action, it will become unmanageable in a few short years.

The committee has been briefed on the steps that the corporation is planning to take in dealing with clients that are in mortgage arrears and has given its support. The focus of the plan is to work with each client to develop a repayment plan. In those cases where a person is unable to work out a repayment plan, they will be asked to sign the asset over to the Housing Corporation and begin paying rent. As long as a person is willing to follow one of the defined processes, and meet the criteria to live in public housing, no one will be put out in the cold. It should be made clear, however, that just as a person can be evicted from social housing for not meeting the terms of their rental agreement, so can a person be forced out of their home if they are not meeting the terms of their mortgage agreement.

One of the goals of the 15th Assembly is the development of self-reliant people. Homeownership is an important part of self-reliance. By not taking remedial action with those who are behind in their mortgages, we are encouraging dependence and, worse, we are putting these people further and further into debt. The lack of action is also unfair to NWT residents who either have a mortgage in good standing with the Housing Corporation or who paid the taxes that allowed the corporation to lend money for mortgages in the first place.

This issue will also be outlined in the transition report to the next Assembly. The committee will be strongly recommending that the 16th Assembly support the NWT Housing Corporation's plan to address mortgage arrears. At this time, Madam Chair, I am going to turn it over to my colleague for Sahtu, Mr. Norman Yakeleya.