Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS adequate and affordable housing is the most important concern of many Northerners;

AND WHEREAS without adequate, affordable and accessible housing, individuals and families lack the basis for healthy living, successful educational participation, security of employment and participation as full members in the economies, health and development of our communities;

AND WHEREAS the NWT Housing Corporation’s program guidelines set a rent scale which can result in a rental rate of 30 percent of assessed gross income and which normally results in rent comprising more than...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was going to ask about the 30 percent of gross income being unrealistic and crushing, but I think I will hold off on that and just ask the Minister in respect to these rental arrears.

It is stressful. It is urgent. What sort of time frame are we talking about for these people that are living under these crushing debts of tens of thousands of dollars with very modest incomes? They need relief. When will it happen? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the theory. The Minister has given us the theory but, as I said -- and perhaps the Minister didn’t hear in my statement earlier today -- I have constituents that have taken all of their pay stubs months ago into the Housing Corporation at least four months ago. They are sitting there waiting. They are paying $200 per month in rental arrears deductions, taken from the $800 left each month of disposable income. That is after rent and food for a family of seven. My constituent needs relief, Mr. Speaker. That is what we are talking about here. Can the Minister tell me if...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome Captain Tony Whitford to the House and hope his home renovations are going well. I would also like to recognize Mr. Bruce Stewart, the instructor for the social programs staff -- he’s a constituent of Weledeh -- and also all of his students and the LHO representatives from everywhere. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, that is good news. I guess two things that I would appreciate it if the Minister could keep working on this to fully realize those opportunities, perhaps working with the Minister of Finance. Is the Minister working perhaps through local housing organizations? What is the outreach process for early notice to local businesses or community development corporations, if that is what they are called and so on, to ensure that they are alert to this possibility of early negotiation a year ahead of time or whatever? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to describe the tragic consequences created by our housing policies by providing the experience in just one family’s life.

Last Thursday a woman at my Dettah constituency meeting explained her situation this way: A mother of five children, aged two to ten, she and her spouse lived in public housing. Based on their combined modest incomes, rent was pegged at $1,200 per month, or 30 percent of gross earnings, equivalent to about 40 percent of take-home pay. Groceries are $1,200 a month for five kids and two adults. Add $1,200 for rent on a household take-home...

Mr. Chairman, thanks for those comments from the Minister. I think, Mr. Chairman, this highlights a situation that we faced in all of our infrastructure in other departments. I think the government has been quite progressive. They have had an infrastructure subcommittee. I believe the deputy ministers tuned up that process quite a bit. We also, as a House, have implemented a new process for our capital budget. That has allowed that implementation.

I am wondering, it is different for the Housing Corporation, I understand. I appreciate this opportunity to discuss this now, but my understanding is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Friday, October 29, 2010, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that this Legislative Assembly urges the Government of Canada to reverse its decision to eliminate the mandatory “long-form” census questionnaire. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good to hear. My last question, which you might be able to guess here, is: Will the Minister commit to -- I’m harking back to my first question on beginning perhaps the long process to consider recognition of an additional language -- sitting down and meeting with the chiefs of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and myself to discuss what a process might look like? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, for the record, I, too, am very proud of those 11 official languages. I thank the Minister for those remarks on the process to get this done.

As the Minister knows, the true test of support programs is the ability to deliver timely support to the place where it can be used best. For a grassroots program, we know that it is really at the community level. I have described a situation where funding for the Yellowknives Dene Community Language Program is filtered through the Tlicho and Akaitcho governments’ administrative structures and there have been several problems described. The...