Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Just sitting here earlier, on my social media, I said we were going to be doing housing as the theme, and it lit up. It's a really serious issue, and a lot of my constituents had a lot of concerns. For all those listening, we are doing our best to answer your questions. It's important to all of us, so we will get to that. Next week, I will probably have some more questions for the housing Minister. Going back to my Member's statement today about home ownership, and the Member for Great Slave touched on it a little bit on the lease-to-own program, my question to the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation is: what other programs are there to assist our residents in terms of home ownership when they have the financial resources to do so? Marsi cho.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
In the Legislative Assembly on October 28th, 2020. See this topic in context.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
Oral Questions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
Oral Questions
October 28th, 2020
Page 1461
Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member's comments because housing is a significant need throughout the Northwest Territories, and it does come together with a lot of different situations that we deal with: addictions issues, we deal with low-income families, and also home ownership is our priority right now. With the Member, I would like to follow up with a number of programs that we do have that would support the home ownership initiative for his community, but not only for that but for the Northwest Territories, as well. I would like to see more home ownership throughout the territory if we are able to do it. Please work with me, and I will be able to work with that client, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
Oral Questions
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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
I thank you for that. I understand that, at one time, there was a public housing ownership program that the NWTHC used to offer. I am just wondering what has become of this.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
To the Member's comment, we do still have the housing Home-Ownership Program. We do have a number of units that we do have for sale throughout the territory. It either would be one of the public housing units that people are actually living in right now. Like I said, all of the single-family housing units are available for sale. However, also, we do have a HEL Program, an additional support of low-income initiatives that would be able to support low-income families. I will have that information provided to the Member because there is quite a lot of detail.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you for that. That is encouraging because I know there are several constituents in my riding who would be interested in that program. Going on, changing gears a little bit, there are a couple of areas that I mentioned in my Member's statement. One of them is land tenure, and this affects the CARE program and home ownership. It's a huge issue in my riding in particular. With that, Mr. Speaker: will the Minister commit to work with the Minister of Lands to tackle this land tenure issue in our communities?
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
This is a question that has been brought up even prior to my election. I did work and did look at the land tenure issue and the programming that we do have for the Housing Corporation, and it does burden our programs and our program delivery. Right now, we are looking at alternative solutions of how we could program deliver in private homes, where we need to at least -- I don't know. It could be the CARE program, care mobility, and we will be working with the Department of Lands.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
Oral Questions
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The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
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Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. That is very encouraging. Thank you for that response. My final question, Mr. Speaker: can the Minister update this House on any work being done to address the inability of residents in our communities to access home insurance? Marsi cho.
Question 424-19(2): Home Ownership
Oral Questions
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Home insurance has been a topic of discussion throughout my department. I wanted to look at alternative solutions and what it is that we are going to be working with. Home ownership is a priority, and I just look at how we are going to be getting housing renovation programs more accessible. I do see the burden of land tenure and also home insurance. I would just like to inform the Member that we are working with that to find alternative solutions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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