Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just going to take a few minutes here to make some general comments on the Minister’s opening remarks. The first thing I noticed in his opening comments is the word “increase.” I’ve noticed in a couple of departments now where we’re talking reductions. I look at that and think, “There must not be anything for Inuvik in here, because it’s an increase.” I’m starting to think Inuvik means “Place of Reduction” instead of “Place of Man.”
One of the things I’ve noticed is that in some communities with older units I’ve started seeing some of those come down. I think that’s appreciated. I think that’s a result of the CMHC funding and transferring of numbers. I’m not sure if that’s the case. That’s not really even a question.
Another issue I always have is with the home ownership programs. I’ve been dealing with a couple of constituents for the last couple of years that have gone through the application process. They’ve done the educational part of it, which they’re required to do as a condition of their application. I don’t agree with that. I think once they’re approved, they should do the educational part of it. These are folks that are living in public housing, and they’re both making good money. They’re able to maintain a unit if they’re given a home ownership unit. In some communities I see
some empty units that you can’t find clients for. I don’t think you’d have that case in Inuvik.
One thing I’ve suggested in the past and I’ll suggest again is the difference in the amount of money that people are eligible for. I still think there should be blocks of funding, a set amount. They make applications for it. If they’re approved from the Housing Corp, they take that; they go to the bank and they get a mortgage. With the high cost of living up here it’s harder for people to try to save for a down payment on a mortgage. I think we’re able to help them that way. I think the money would go a lot further if you had $50,000 blocks that are approved. Then they can use that money, go to the bank and apply for a mortgage. If they’re turned down by the bank, then — and that’s between them and the bank — at least the Housing Corp’s done their part in trying to assist these people with getting into home ownership.
The Supported Lease Program is another one that I always have concerns with. I still think, sometimes, that it’s second-tier public housing, because I’m not sure what’s going to happen after two years. If they find they can’t maintain the unit, do they stay in there as tenants of the local housing authority? Do they vacate the unit, and we put another person in there? In the meantime, what happens to them? So there are still some questions that I have on that.
Housing does seem sometimes to try and address some of the needs that are out there. Whether they do it properly or not is subject to debate. We see the Market Housing Program, where they were trying to meet a need. That somehow didn’t work out quite the way that we wanted it to.
Another concern I have is with our contributions to the NWT Housing Corp. I’m not quite sure if our contributions go up as the CMHC funding sunsets. That would be a question that I would have.
As for seniors’ repairs, I’ve had the opportunity to deal with Housing on a few occasions to do with funding for seniors, and they’ve been quite helpful. They’ve managed to take care of a few problems. It’s still not perfect, though. We hear from seniors who are trying to access something as simple as furnace repair. I’m dealing with a senior on that right now. All in all I think Housing does try to look after housing needs. Some of the disagreements that I have and some other Members have is how they go about it. They seem to be changing their mind every couple of years. The 14 or 17 programs that they had going, they put them down into four programs, so I’m not quite sure how that’s working out.
Then again, I’ll mention my reluctance or my — I don’t know how you would say it. Does the ECE housing transfer…? I mean, we had a briefing just recently, and we were given an update, and I’m still
following that quite closely because some folks still have some concerns about that. I’ve been trying to give it the benefit of the doubt for the last two years, but I still seem to be hearing from the tenants that it’s something that’s not quite working.
With that, Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to make a few general comments to the Minister’s opening remarks. Of all the issues we have across the Northwest Territories, the one that we hear about the most would probably be in the Housing department. Housing does try to supply a need, and I’ve seen some small steps forward, but I also see a step backward in a couple of other cases. I’m not quite sure what the overall solution to the problem is.
We hear about arrears all the time, and that’s another one that I’ve had some concerns with: mortgage arrears that are paid to the Housing Corporation. I think if we do the block funding, where they take the money that we approve, go to the bank, then the onus is on the tenant and the bank. The Housing Corporation would basically be out of it other than the forgivable portion of their $50,000 block that I keep suggesting. The arrears are another concern, when you have too many people not paying their mortgage. Some are faithfully paying month after month after month. They see their next door neighbours basically staying in the house for nothing with a yard full of toys they themselves really can’t afford. They’re trying to make their mortgage payments. They took the contract they signed very seriously. I think that’s an area that Housing is trying to address. I think we’re up to $6 million or $8 million now in mortgage arrears. I think that has to cause us some concern, because the longer we let this thing go, then everybody is just finally going to throw up their hands and say: “Why bother paying? Nobody else is paying, so why should I? They’re going to forgive me; they’re going to give me the house at the end of the day.” That’s an attitude we have to work on.
There are still some issues with the condition of some of the houses. I’ve heard a couple of comments about black mould, and I think Housing is trying to address that. Not to sound that I’m all on board with everything Housing’s doing — I mean, I think they’re trying to do some good stuff. I think they’re trying to find some direction. I think listening to the concerns of the Regular Members….
Interruption.