David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, there are several initiatives we are working on. One is looking at the mandate of the corporation and we’re hoping to have it ready by April 1st to take to Cabinet. Another area that I touched on earlier is the whole area of developing a northern housing strategy to deal with the federal government. In the federal budget there was a whole bunch of announcements looking at the whole area of conservation and looking at energy-efficient homes and whatnot. We have to build that into our building methods in the North, but also look at access...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the question that the Member asked, as it sits right now, nobody in the Northwest Territories has the certification to provide these types of mobile homes. In order to meet national standards, Canadian National Building Codes, and getting the certification that’s needed to build these units, right now no one has that certification in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have such a program, but people aren’t really made aware of it. We do have a log housing initiative that is in place. Individuals who want to go out who want to harvest their own logs, peel their logs and bring them back into town, can have them ready on the site. There is a program to assist those people by way of getting a package from the corporation for the electrical and materials to finish off the unit. Because of the log housing initiative that has happened such as HAP, we ran into problems. The new initiative is based on single, one-storey units. Sweat...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the processes we’re working on is trying to ensure people have a better understanding of our programs and services with regard to the IHP programs, independent housing programs, our EDAP programs and other programs that are out there. I think that because of the needs surveys we have, I know it’s an issue here in the House, on how those dollars are allocated. But again, it’s an application-based program. We do have program dollars going into Jean Marie River this fiscal year. Also, looking at the needs surveys that we do have, we are looking at revising our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, this was an initiative that was done trying to ensure that we meet the needs of our communities and looking at the long-term initiative. The first phase was to try to accommodate the professionals in communities. We heard from the DEAs and the education councils. They said there was a need for housing in those communities. By the time these units were in place in those communities, a lot of people…Right now, we have Fort Res residents approaching the Housing Corporation to purchase these units. In Fort Res, those units came in at a cost of about...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, it’s a process that we go through by way of a 10-year plan that we have developed. In that plan we are implementing the new needs surveys and also trying to ensure that we are able to accommodate communities that are in need, according to the survey. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker, it has to meet the budgetary criteria for the corporation. As we know, we are now phasing out social funding. Again, in order to meet that need, we have to work within the budget. So right now, Mr. Speaker, we have to allocate based on need, but also within the budget...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, rate increases are based on the tenant’s act, which is an act which is enforced through the Department of Justice. At this time, in order to increase any rent, you have to give three months' notice. If you’re not satisfied with that decision, you appeal that to the tenancy officer who is there to oversee the tenant’s act. That’s the appeals process that you go through. You appeal a decision you don’t like or an eviction that you receive through the tenancy officer who is responsible for enforcing the tenant’s act. Again, that follows the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the rent, it is based on format of thresholds for low income tenants who pay a lot less than people who are in the high income range. So it is based on the amount of income that you receive. It is calculated through a phase-in approach, that I mentioned, by way of the rate scale system that we have, which was supposed to be phased in over four years. We are now in the second year of a four-year phase-in, so we are now looking at readjusting that to phase in over this year and next year, which, as it stands right now, is basically 30...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, presently we are reviewing the mandate of the Housing Corporation and this is one of the areas we can focus in. Because we haven’t concluded that review, this is something we’ll definitely bring back to the department to look at and see if there are ways we can revise how we determine rents and rates. I’ll bring it back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the way the Social Housing Program is delivered, it is a social program that is delivered through CMHC -- which are national programs that are delivered across Canada for social housing -- where, as an agent of CMHC, we, as the territories, along with Nunavut, probably have one of the leaner rate scales in the country. Again, it is a national standard that we follow. Again, this is social housing. It is designated for low income tenants, but also we accommodate people who want to move into social housing with the awareness that, as a high...