This is page numbers 5011 - 5050 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 work.

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Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5021

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Housing NWT.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5021

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The unit that the Member is speaking about, it has been repaired. There were some issues with the water tank, and it required a lot of attention before it was to be occupied. A lot of work has been done. I will work with the board of directors and look at the allocation. And the Member is correct, they are first on the waiting list. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5021

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister has the authority to make that decision right now. Don't need to be talking to anybody but herself in regard to that. Madam Speaker, would the Minister commit to me today that she'd assign that Unit 65 over to the young couple that has a young baby living in a tent frame in the community of Paulatuk? It's minus 20. Thank you.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5021

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was, you know, wanting to hear from the board of directors, but the tenants are number one on the waitlist, so they are potentially next to be up for allocation. And I will follow up with the Member once we work with the board of directors. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I've been waiting for our Minister to deal with this for the last 13 months. That baby was one month old. Now we're at minus 20 in the community. They're living -- I'll be tabling documents today on what they're living in, Madam Speaker. The decision has to be made. It doesn't matter what anything -- everything goes downhill. She's got a Minister's notepad that says "Minister's directive." All she's got to do is write it "Unit 65 to be given to this couple;" it's going to be done. Would the Minister take the initiative today to do it? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I just want to reiterate that the couple is number one on the waitlist. There is a two-bedroom that is available for them. I will follow up with the board of directors but I will put the political pressure for the couple. I don't want to see the circumstance extended to anything that is quite severe. They've been on the waiting list for the past few years. I will work with the department and, yes, they will be given Unit 65. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Could she repeat herself if that was a "yes?" Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will be following up with the board, and I did say yes. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Question 1282-19(2): Housing
Oral Questions

Page 5022

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to congratulate my colleague for a "yes" on the floor from Housing. I think that's a great start.

Madam Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance can provide an idea of how much property tax arrears the GNWT forgives every year in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I certainly can provide that data. I don't have the number in front of me right now on the fly, but I can certainly commit to get that to the Member. And I'll have it before tomorrow if she wants to follow up on it. Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister, for the commitment. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I've got the Finance website open in front of me, and just for everyone's sake Property Tax Arrears Program is designed to help residents who have property tax or residential lease arrears in the Northwest Territories. And so, given that information, I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance can confirm if Housing NWT clients can use property tax arrears to pay rental arrears? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the property tax arrears is for homeowners who are paying property taxes. So in that respect, someone who is living in public housing would not have access to that program. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm seeing here that it also extends to residential lease arrears. And so I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to what that difference is and if it also extends to damages incurred within residential lease arrears as well, and if that confirmation can be made. Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it's not my understanding that this extends to residential leases. Certainly if I am wrong about that, I will certainly correct myself going forward. And there was a second half to that question that has escaped me as I stood up. So I apologize, you might have to see if the Member wants to -- oh, damages. Damages, Madam Speaker; it's come back to me miraculously.

Madam Speaker, no, it wouldn't extend to damages. Again, it is really focused on property taxes and does generally extend to homeowners. So it is not well suited to dealing with arrears under public housing. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Department of Finance might want to review their website then, because it does clearly state on the website that it is for residential lease arrears.

But my last question for the Minister of Housing is if this program doesn't apply to Housing NWT itself, to be able to use Property Tax Arrears Program to pay off arrears, what other process is available to Housing NWT to forgive public housing arrears? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I can certainly commit that the Department of Finance, which is where any loans or other matters that are forgiven, for example, student financial assistance, anything of that nature that is going to be forgiven as an obligation or debt owed to the government, does come through the comptroller general's office, and I will see that that office does connect in with Housing NWT to ensure that if there are programs underutilized or ways that we can support that department, that office, that we will do so. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.

Question 1284-19(2): Lanky Court Building
Oral Questions

November 2nd, 2022

Page 5023

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker. You were throwing me looking to the other side of the room there when you said that. My questions are for the Minister of Housing.

First, I just wonder if the Minister can speak a bit to how does the Housing Corporation review the status of maintenance and repairs on third party buildings such as Northview? We have a liability, as a government, to make sure that the housing that we're putting public housing clients into is safe, and from what I'm hearing I don't think that Lanky is. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Housing NWT.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you to the Member for asking the question. I'd have to follow up with the department in looking at our third party inspections and our third party operation and maintenance and how we actually work together. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank the Minister for the commitment to get that back to me. I can't stress enough how much of a responsibility that we have here.

Can the Minister speak to whether or not she is aware if Lanky Court Apartments is meeting all of our legislation or legislative codes? For example, is it passing fire inspections? Is it passing the building code inspections? Has environmental health and safety or public health been in to look at the building? Thank you, Madam Speaker.