Thank you, colleagues.
WHEREAS the responsibility for the administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy was moved to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment from the NWT Housing Corporation, effective April 2, 2005;
AND WHEREAS over the past four years this program transfer has negatively impacted the residents of the Northwest Territories who live in social housing by unnecessarily complicating what was a simple process administered by the local housing organization;
AND WHEREAS one of the consequences of this program transfer has been an increase to the number of households that are in arrears with their local housing organizations;
AND WHEREAS these same local housing organizations and the NWT Housing Corporation have demonstrated their capacity and competence in administering social housing and in dealing with tenants in social housing in a professional manner;
AND WHEREAS many people have expressed concerns to Members centred on the delivery of social housing and problems encountered since the program transfer to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment;
AND WHEREAS the same material facts that led the 15th Assembly to adopt Motion 10-15(5) on November 1, 2006, directing the government to
return responsibility for administering the Public Housing Rental Subsidy to the NWT Housing Corporation and its local housing organizations, still exist;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the full responsibility for the administration of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy Program be once again placed under the control of the local housing organizations;
AND FURTHER, that all related budgets now with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment be transferred back to the NWT Housing Corporation;
AND FURTHERMORE, that this Legislative Assembly recommends the government provide a response for this motion within 120 days.
---Applause