Debates of Feb. 22nd, 2017

This is page numbers 1883 – 1930 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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

Oral Questions

Prayer

GNWT Marine Transport Plans

Early Childhood Development

Pink Shirt Day

Innovative Community Housing Solutions

Irc/gnwt Partnership On Housing

K'atlodeeche First Nation Housing Challenges

Taltson River Dam

Nahendeh Housing Challenges

Local Improvement Charges For Housing Energy Retrofits

Public Sector Employment Opportunities For Youth

Independent Housing For Seniors

‘pink Shirt’ Anti-Bullying Day

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Irc/gnwt Partnership On Housing

Taltson River Dam

Housing Arrears Collection

Local Improvement Charges Housing Energy Retrofits

Emergency Housing Shelters

Benefits Of Housing Cooperatives

K'atlodeeche First Nation Housing Challenges

Addressing Housing Challenges With Tiny Homes

Independent Housing For Seniors

Overflow Water On Mackenzie Delta Highways

Tabled Document 297-18(2): Government Of The Northwest Territories' Response To Motion 27‑18(2): A New Day Men's Healing Program

Tabled Document 299-18(2): Letter Of Resignation From Aurora College Board Of Governors South Slave Representative Lynn Napier-Buckley To The Minister Of Education, Culture And Employment

Tabled Document 300-18(2): Loans For Heat: Towards A Yellowknife Energy Savings Program

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, NWT Housing Corporation, Deferral Of Finance And Infrastructure Services Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, NWT Housing Corporation Deferral Of Programs And District Operations Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, NWT Housing Corporation, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The NWT Housing Corporation

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 60-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, NWT Housing Corporation, Deferral Of Finance And Infrastructure Services Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Martin.

Martin

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the NWT Housing Corporation does have insurance arrangements in place, they are actually with the GNWT, and we do insure everything above a duplex; so multi-family dwellings would be insured. Anything below that, though, like a duplex as well -- I guess you could call that a multi-family as well, but a duplex and a single unit, we self-insure those units at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Martin. Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

To the other half of my self-insured package or question: if you're selling a house there would you self-insure that as well to the buyer if it is somebody who is currently occupying social housing or a potential buyer out there for surplus assets, call it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you Mr. McNeely. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As stated, currently at this point we do not provide insurance for people who are looking at buying, except for our own units that we're keeping for public housing. Insurance has been identified as an area of concern that limits people, so it will be an area that we are going to be focusing on along with the other issues, co-payment and land tenure, other obstacles that we have seen as barriers for people. So yes, it will be something that we will be contemplating within the program renewal and figuring out how we can actually help people so they can get insured. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Anything further, Mr. McNeely?

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Nothing further there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Seeing no one further on my list, I will call this section. NWT Housing Corporation, programs and district operations, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $31,707,000. Mr. Thompson?

Committee Motion 61-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, NWT Housing Corporation Deferral Of Programs And District Operations Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity, Programs and District Operations, under the NWT Housing Corporation Main Estimates 2017-2018 on page 361 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and non-debateable. All those in favour? All those opposed?

---Carried

The Chair R.J. Simpson

We have deferred this activity. Next, committee, we have an information item. This is an information item only on page 363, lease commitments. Do we have comments or questions on the NWT Housing Corporation lease commitments from any Members? Seeing none, we will head back to the -- actually, there's another information item on page 348 that I will draw committee's attention to, back near the very beginning. Page 348 is the financial summary information. It's quite a detailed section, so I will give committee a chance to look this over and see if they have comments or questions before we move on the total corporation. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now I'm looking at this page, is the number of the amount of money that has been paid back from the NWT Housing Corporation on this page? Thank you.

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Martin.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Mr. Martin.

Martin

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of dollars reinstated within our budget, that would have flowed through the GNWT contribution amounts presented at the bottom of this page. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Martin. Ms. Green.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

No questions. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are looking at the GNWT contribution line here. Last year, it was $81,702,000. The proposal for next year is $74,943,000. Can the Minister explain that reduction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Ms. O'Reilly. Minister.

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Martin.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Mr. Martin.

Martin

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reduction from 2016-2017 in the GNWT contribution is attributable to a few significant sunset adjustments. The first sunset adjustment was $6.7 million, representing the last year of the Market Housing Program Initiative. The second adjustment related to the rural and remote housing program that was discussed previously. That program has sunsetted at $783,000. We also had sunsetted a three-year initiative for additional funding for hazard assessments over the last three years to deal with hazard assessments prior to modernization and improvement projects. That was $250,000 that was reduced. In addition to those sunsets, we did have the first year of the RCMP funding that would sunset in that budget as well, and that was $3.4 million. That was funding that was allocated for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. In addition to that, we had a number of budget reductions that have been discussed previously. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Debates of Feb. 22nd, 2017

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