Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to respond to some of the opening comments and the challenges of the NWT Housing Corporation. Of course, in the Ministerial statement a few days ago the Minister did mention about the stats in the Nahendeh riding that were one of the highest regions with regard to adequacy in our communities. In plain words, we’ve got lots of really old homes that require repairs. We’ve got lots of overcrowding, especially in Fort Liard. We do have lots of new homes coming up, I’ll grant that there, Mr. Chair, but the challenge is that in Fort Liard we’re not adding new homes, we’re just replacing the old ones. So we’re not really increasing the units. But at the same time, we are getting new units, which is a good thing for the community of Liard.
We still got a long way to go, particularly in Fort Liard. The need is still for an increase in public housing. I’ve got maybe half the community there that probably won’t be eligible for the HELP program of purchasing their own homes, but the need would definitely be public housing, I think. In my last discussions with the Hamlet of Fort Liard, we’re looking at at least 30 to 50 more units just to catch up to the population that’s there to replace the older homes and house the new younger generation. So I’d certainly like to work towards that.
The residents of Fort Liard continue to indicate to me about mould issues. Mould is still high there. There’s the black mould that’s really creating health problems, especially if you’ve got a household of six to 10 people, it only increases the ability of our people to get sicknesses and disease from this mould. So the mould strategy is still needed. I raised it in the House several times. I’m not too sure where we’ve been going towards that. And the houses that do have mould there, Mr. Chair, they probably need to replace the walls, replace the drywall, et cetera, doors, et cetera.
But these people, a lot of the people not only in Fort Liard but in many of the communities I represent, are in arrears. Arrears are really disputable. So people are saying, well, I’ve got a house but it wasn’t really fixed, so I stopped paying. Or else, yes, I did get a mortgage, or I got the repair program, but it wasn’t adequately fixed so I’m not paying back the loan. That kind of stuff. So, to me, actually, to the Corporation, on their books it certainly is an arrears, but for me it’s about appealing it and coming to some kind of dispute resolution where each individual client is going to take lots and lots of work, Mr. Chair. But I believe my constituents, that they have real concerns with the original construction, or original paperwork, or original additions, et cetera, and they really did have concerns. Even though I advise them that it’s probably not the best thing to stop paying, but still, they’re adamant and frustrated that no one’s come back to fix their light switch or finish painting. So they do have real concerns. At the same time, it disallows them from future programs.
The community of Wrigley, I’ve got about probably 10 or 12 homes that are not eligible for repairs and they’re badly needed repairs. The community of Wrigley had actually done a health assessment two years ago and took numerous photos of all the homes, of the dilapidated conditions. There’s even mould in Wrigley, as well. Inadequate flooring, furnaces, just a whole gamut of issues with each and every one of those houses. They do need repairs, but this whole arrears question is a barrier and the corporation does have their rules and guidelines.
So for me, I’ve always been pushing the appeals mechanism, the appeals process. Questioning the Minister in the House the other day, he did indicate that we are looking at establishing the appeals system. I’m hoping that, like last year, the commitment is the same, that we can have it up and running by April 1st . It was supposed to be
running by April 1st last year. But I believe that by
having an independent appeals system we can bring resolution to each individual, especially in the Nahendeh riding. A lot of my memos of support of constituents in each of the communities is actually an appeal to the corporation saying, look, you know, this went wrong, that’s why they’re not paying, or else they felt the paperwork wasn’t done.
So it’s going to take a lot of work, but I believe that with a strong initiative, that we can begin the process of addressing each individual’s concern and try to resolve them. At the same time, it will be a good opportunity to improve the living conditions of our constituents and our people in the regions and the communities. Also, it’s the level of arrears as well. If the arrears are nominal, $1,000 to $3,000 to $5,000, can we roll it into any new program? I know they’ve got a mortgage repayment program that’s quite successful that way. But if someone’s actually just applying for a repair program, is there room to actually add the $2,000 or $3,000 of arrears to that repair program, because it’s repayable anyways. I think that will go a long ways in having suitably repaired homes, good floors, et cetera.
That’s one of my thinking. That’s why I’m adamant. I’ve been pushing that appears process for almost six years as an MLA now, and I’d like to see us work towards that, Mr. Chair.
Just a little bit more on the arrears, Members have also spoken about arrears that are very, very old. So if the Minister is going to comment to my remarks here, if he can also address the fact of what efforts are being to change the NWT Housing Act to allow the corporation to write off some of these very, very old debts, because it’s probably good fiscal practice to do so. I don’t know any corporation that holds debt on their books forever. So there’s got to be a way to erase that. It will probably look better for accounting processes and as they deliberate their budgets. A lot of that debt, and it’s arrears to people, people might have programs 10, 15, 20 years ago. Even they don’t even remember they got arrears until they actually try to access Housing Corporation programming. There are many, many reasons to forgive debt. So all this has to be looked at. I believe that slight change in the NWT Housing Corporation Act of eliminating some of the arrears, eliminating some of the debt, that we can also move a long ways in helping our constituents and communities and regions in improving and allowing constituents to
access more NWT housing programs, which is the real reason why we’re here. I’m often criticized, as I travel through the region, that I cannot get the housing program.
We are getting new clients. They’re often working. They got income. But those that aren’t working are the ones that are really impacted. They’re the ones that have the homes that are in need of repairs. Those are the people that seem to be in overcrowded conditions. I really believe that we have to address this whole area of arrears and establish the appeal process. At the same time I think that will reduce a lot of the, I hate to say the word “negativity” towards the Housing Corporation, but I think it’s more the barrier that’s there. Front-line workers are governed by our guidelines and procedures so they do have to say no, but at the same time, we as legislators can work with government and the Minister to try to make those changes that make lives a little bit better for our people
With that, I don’t mind if I get some comments from the Minister with regard to those issues.