Mr. Chairman, we’re in the final year — actually, the final months — of the current needs survey that was done in 2004. Granted, it’s in its last year, and as the Member suggested, the information is somewhat dated. We are looking at moving forward in January to March of ’09 to look at redoing the needs survey, working in conjunction with the Executive as well. We’re also using, where it’s applicable, the 2006 census data, which gives us some information that’s more current.
The move and consolidation of 14 programs into four was done after a process of consultation. One of the big concerns from folks across the North was the need to simplify the access and the number of programs to make it easier to understand. That was one of the intents of consolidating from 14 to four. As I indicated in this House and I indicated to the Social Programs Committee, clearly we’re prepared to look at and revisit how those programs are structured, the number of them, and things like the seniors’ repair program possibly being moved out of there into a stand-alone program again. So we’re prepared to look at that.
We have tried to be flexible, and we recognize that there have been houses built that have been sitting empty. But as the Member for Tu Nedhe will recollect, we went to the LHO and talked about the housing delivery coming up. Initially it was geared for single people, and we were told very clearly that it in fact should be geared more to larger families.
So we adjusted that. We also are going to convert one of the housing units into fundings, to put more into the repair program. So we are interested in trying to be creative, responsive and flexible.
We struggle with our public housing stock. If we can take new units that are built and make them public housing, then it usually has to be done…. If we can take one of the older, more deteriorated units off the market…. The issue of owner money is what’s critical for us with the public housing units.
We are working, both at the national table and locally, in terms of what we do with the declining CHMC funding. I’m optimistic at this point that the federal government is going to step up to the table to make some kind of arrangement with us. In the meantime we have to look at picking up the slack. It’s a very, very big-ticket item, especially when you listen to the fiscal circumstances we’re currently in.