Thank you, Minister McLeod. Committee, we are on page 393. I’d ask committee if you are going to be asking questions regarding detail on the following activities and information items, if you please specify which line entry, whether it’s revenue or expenditure program detail. With that, committee, NWT Housing Corporation, financial summary information (information item). Any questions? Mr. Hawkins.
Debates of Feb. 11th, 2015
This is page numbers 5451 – 5490 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing.
Topics
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thanks, Mr. Chairman. It’s my understanding that in Deninu Kue the community has an eight-plex and I was curious as to what’s happening with it. It has been sitting there for years and I want to hear what the plan is, either to replace or not. It has been empty for a number of years. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
The Chair Daryl Dolynny
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister McLeod. With that, we’ll go to Mr. Stewart.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
David Stewart
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe the Member is talking about the eight-plex in Fort Resolution. There were some land issues that we had to straighten out to be able to get the proper land tenure there. We are prepared to sell that unit off, if there are interested parties in that; however, there has also been interest expressed recently to use that property for other purposes within the community that we’ve heard from the community leadership. I think Public Works and Services is looking at that request to see if it’s appropriate for what they would like to use, so we’ll hold off selling it until we hear from Public Works whether they have a use for the property and if they don’t, then we’ll go ahead and put that out for sale and somebody can hopefully use that unit for rentals within the community. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. How long has it been in the operational side of the ledger? In other words, sitting there empty.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It has been about three years, but we’ll confirm that information and relay that on to the Members. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
In speaking to the chief of the community, of course not recently, has the Housing Corp done an assessment as to what it would require to be up and running as a viable unit for housing people in the community?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
David Stewart
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know we have done a technical assessment of the building in the past. I don’t have the information right in front of me, but we did look at what would be required to get it back operational and that’s something we would consider in setting the purchase price. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
David Stewart
I believe the 2014 result was 24.6 percent of the dwellings were in core need.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Noting that it’s 24.6 in core need, what have we done? Does this not move the core need higher if this eight-plex is not replaced back into the operational pool? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
David Stewart
The unit was empty at the time, I believe, of the needs survey. I would point out, though, that between 2009 and 2014 the core need in Fort Resolution in 2009 was 50 percent of dwellings and in 2014 it was 24.6 percent of dwellings. So I think there has been a fair amount of progress in that community in terms of addressing core need.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
I would ask how many people are in the community of Fort Res needing housing. In other words, we have housing authorities all around the Northwest Territories and people on waiting lists. If the Housing Corporation is unable to supply the specific number, would it be safe to guess that there would be at least eight people looking for housing in that community? Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
So if we have 12 on the list, it would be safe to say that if we open up that particular unit once again, we would take off two-thirds of the waiting list. Is that correct?
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Mr. Chair, the unit needs a considerable amount of work and there has been interest in parties wanting to purchase that unit, so we’re exploring that right now. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
Mr. Chairman, what does financially mean in financial terms when the Minister uses the word “considerable?” I’m trying to put a dollar amount to it.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes
Mr. Chair, the president has committed to providing that information. We don’t have the numbers off hand, but we will provide the information to the Members. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre
I believe in Yellowknife they were talking about expending dollars so they could expand programs through housing to stabilize rents, to stabilize affordability. Has there been a cost-benefit analysis to make the determination that it’s cheaper to sell the unit in case someone else wants to rent them, or own the unit, which we own already, and fix it up and work through our housing program for housing for people in need. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters