Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I’m pleased to review the infrastructure investment by the NWT Housing Corporation. In my riding, of course, this is one of the regions with the highest core need. So I’m interested to see how the corporation is addressing that fact in the capital plan that’s before us, Mr. Chair. If I could get the Minister to review some of the capital expenditures for the Nahendeh riding just to see how it reflects to address the core need that’s there. I’m just kind of counting quickly and by comparison to other ridings, I don’t see that much, but perhaps there’s more in the works. Perhaps the Minister can explain how they’re addressing the core needs in the Nahendeh riding with this capital infrastructure investment that’s before us.

Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Some of the projects here that are going to the Member’s riding – I mean, he’s seen the numbers here -- there’s been a huge improvement in, actually, the repair dollars, the CARE dollars that are going into the Member’s riding. Then there’s some M and I that’s happening. So this is just some of the infrastructure that’s going on the ground. We felt that with putting more money into CARE, we’d be addressing some of the issues that were

identified through the core needs study survey. Thank you.

The Minister must be talking about some O and M dollars, because I don’t see the amount of repair dollars reflected in the pages that are before me. Maybe the Minister can just clarify that? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister, can you clarify or do you have that information available for Mr. Menicoche so he can maybe get a copy of that? Mr. Minister.

We can provide the information to the Member. We’ve got about $1.2 million in CARE. The Member is correct; it is through the program delivery. So that’s on top of the infrastructure that’s going into the Member’s riding. There’s approximately $1.2 million earmarked for CARE. Then we’ve got preventative maintenance money, but I can provide some information to the Member as to exactly what’s going into his riding. Thank you.

One of the ways, if you’re going to create a study there, Mr. Chair, I believe that you should address those needs and we’ll certainly have that discussion when we talk about the business planning for 2011-12, Mr. Chair. But in terms of this budget, it’s not really reflective of the identified core need. I was very pleased to see that study, because that study actually only confirmed what my constituents and I have been telling the Housing ministry for years and years, that these needs have to be addressed. In fact, when I go to Fort Liard, they’re saying that they actually need 30 homes to replace. What’s there doesn’t address the accommodation issue, it only replaces what’s there. There’s still overcrowding if we replace that many homes, and that’s the kind of action that I certainly would like to see and it’s just not reflective in this capital budget. So I’d like the Minister to comment on that. As well, why aren’t they using their own facts and figures to address shortages in certain ridings? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We feel like we’re starting to take into account some of the numbers from the Needs Survey. I think in the Member’s riding, a lot of his communities don’t have public housing or local housing authorities and I think that’s one of the biggest challenges we face there. I think there’s a lot of people that say there’s a high need for public housing. So we’ll obviously have more of a discussion during the budget session and to some of the money, and I think I’ll be able to provide the Member with a lot of the investment that’s going on into his riding.

But I feel we’re making an attempt to deal with the numbers from the Needs Survey and we’ll continue to do that in the future, because, as I’ve stated in the House on a number of occasions, that we’re using the Needs Survey to start allocating some of

our funds for homeownership and public housing into the places where it’s most needed. Obviously, the Member has one of the highest needs, if not the highest need, I believe, in the NWT. So we’re starting the process and I think it’s one that will be improved upon. Thank you.

I’m pleased to hear that from the Minister and I’ll continue to raise the issue and press the issue. I look forward to the discussion in the business plans early in the new year.

Just going down the list, perhaps the Minister can describe the four-unit four-plex building purchase in Fort Liard. Exactly what that is?

I’ll let Mr. Anderson respond to that.

Mr. Anderson.

Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much. That kind of clarifies it to me. That four-plex building, I’m glad to see that it’s back on-line and is being utilized. It’s something that the community of Fort Liard has certainly wanted to see up and running again.

Just in terms of Wrigley, the two units, the duplex, this says replacement of the current public housing unit. Maybe the Minister can comment on that as well.

Minister of Housing.

That’s exactly what it says there, Mr. Chair. It’s the replacement of two public housing units.

Mr. Chair, just in terms of Fort Simpson, maybe the Minister can describe what the plan is for the one unit and two lot developments that are there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The one is a HELP unit. It’s a one unit detached. The second one is another HELP unit or land development. Two of them are land developments. So two are lot developments and one is a HELP unit, the one unit detached. Thank you.

What exactly does lot development mean? Is it the same lot that the unit’s going on so there’s only one other lot being developed, or what’s the process with the lot development?

No, these are lots that we’re acquiring for future development. In some of the communities that we go into, we have to identify

and try and obtain lots ahead of time so we can develop them. So when we go back in the next year and go out for tender or have units to build and we actually have lots to put them on instead of in some of the communities we’re told we should come in a year early and develop some of the lots, because the ground could be swampy and you need time to settle that. That’s exactly what this is. It’s just developing the lots for future use.

Thank you. Just for the Minister, you did offer up some information to Mr. Menicoche, so maybe it’s possible if you have it with you to share it with the Clerk so we can circulate it. It might be helpful to the other Members. The information that you said you would provide to the Member, maybe you can also provide that to committee or to the Members in the House and get that to us. Next on the list I have Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions with regard to the housing capital for Yellowknife. I note that there’s a multi-unit building purchase and then there’s a 12-unit retrofit. I wonder if I could know how many units, first of all, are in that replacement for the multi-unit purchase and the location of that.

Minister McLeod.

I’ll have Mr. Anderson respond to that.