Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address the social divide between public housing and homeownership. Young people in my Deh Cho riding dream of owning their own home, but they need a lot of help getting there.

Becoming a homeowner is anything but simple. It requires a sophisticated level of financial literacy, something that young people haven't necessarily grasped. A young person or a young couple have to decide on a type of home they hope to purchase. Then based on their income, they have to determine how much they can afford. After that a whole slew of characters get involved, including staff at the local housing office, a real estate agent, and then there are people at the bank as well as lawyers, appraisers, home inspectors and insurance brokers.

Buying a home is basically an obstacle course. Even after a home has been purchased, the cost of heating, maintaining and repairing it can be totally overwhelming.

I understand the Housing Corporation has made a number of substantial improvements to its homeownership programs, but I'm not convinced that young people in small communities are getting the right kind of support. The Housing Corporation has indicated that a number of eligible individuals are having a hard time completing the transition to homeownership. That tells me more supports are required.

As well, it's not clear why the standard mortgage rates are being used to determine payment plans in small communities. The problem is that homes in places like Fort Providence and Enterprise don't appreciate in value the same way homes appreciate in a place like Yellowknife. I don't believe it's fair to apply standard mortgage rates to home payment plans in small communities.

I would like to address one additional matter pertaining to housing in the Deh Cho. High quality housing is crucial to making small communities appealing places to live. If you're going to attract professionals and convince people to settle in our small communities, we need a better supply of high quality homes that are available for purchase.

At the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.