Thank you, Madam Chair. Could the Minister tell us about what the equivalent program is for encouraging home ownership in Yellowknife? Thank you.
Debates of March 11th, 2020
This is page numbers 607 - 658 of the Hansard for the 19th 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
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to elaborate on the programs that we have within Yellowknife to support home ownership. We do have a home ownership program that we do work with the client for the down payment assistance program for the Northwest Territories. I will just have the vice-president elaborate on that a little bit more, Franklin Carpenter. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Carpenter
Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Minister indicated, we do have a down payment assistance program for the major centres like Yellowknife, and we also participate, where needed, in groups that promote the development of housing. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not sure that I understood the witness's last sentence. Could he repeat that again, with some elaboration? Thank you.
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Carpenter
Thank you, Madam Chair. Our approach to addressing increasing housing in major centres is different than our approach in smaller communities. In the major centres, there are different stakeholders, whether it's the private market or the municipalities, so we engage with them to see what role we can play to encourage more development of housing. Perhaps in this case we could promote the co-investment fund that we just achieved from Canada through our bilateral agreement. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you for that. I didn't realize that the co-investment fund could be used for home ownership. Can the witness confirm that that, in fact, is the case?
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. The co-investment fund is directly used for partnerships, and it is not a home ownership program. I just want to elaborate that the support for the bigger centres is for the down-payment assistance that we do offer, and it's also for the home-repair program that we do have, if there is an individual or a private homeowner who has purchased their own home and they need renovations or fuel-tank replacement. For the co-investment fund, that would be through partnerships and investments. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. According to the Housing Corporation's own numbers, only 19 families have taken home ownership in Yellowknife in the last five years. How is the Housing Corporation going to work with families in Yellowknife to get them to take up home ownership and move them out of public housing to make room for the massive waiting lists of families that we have now? Thank you.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. Through our program delivery, we have started to do an assessment, where we would find high-income earners who are eligible for home ownership. We do have the initiative to work with our clients to transition them into becoming homeowners and guiding them through the process where they'd be able to purchase their own home, so that they're set up for success. There is a process with that, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. That seems like a reasonable approach. I understand that as many of 20 percent of families are at the top end of the rent scale, and so they might be able to afford home ownership. Is there any obligation on this group of high-income earners to go into home ownership, or can they continue to be public housing clients indefinitely? Thank you.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I realize that. When we have clients who have moved into our public housing units and they gradually change positions, they change lifestyles, they either decrease or they increase in the income that they are earning, we do work with them closely, and we do try to get them into the home ownership programs. The initiative is to counsel them because the Housing Corporation is almost like a social program delivery, as well. We make sure that we are setting our clients up for success. I hope that answered your question. I'm not too sure. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Minister. Are there any other questions under community housing services? Member for Hay River South.
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Rocky Simpson Hay River South
Thank you, Madam Chair. If I'm in the wrong section or off topic, please let me know. With respect to the MMIs on page 363, we are looking at a revised estimate for 2019-2020. It went up in 2020-2021 by $2 million. Can you elaborate on that? Thank you, Madam Chair.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see there has been an increase in this section. I'm going to have my director of finance respond to the question.