Julie Green

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, finally, I know that there is a very high rate of tax filing in the NWT, yet not everybody files a tax return. In the case where a tenant hasn't filed a tax return or needs help filing a tax return, how can the LHO respond to them? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Agreed, there is no point if people don't know about it. I am not sure the website is the most effective way to reach the seniors. The Seniors' Society is probably a better choice.

Just finally, in this area, and I recognize this might not be the right area, but anyway, I will ask the question. The waiting list for affordable seniors' housing in Yellowknife is six years long at the Avens Court, and I am wondering if the Minister can tell us about her new initiative to create more independent housing for seniors in Yellowknife. Thank you.

I appreciate the Minister's answer. Can the Minister tell us what those alternatives look like? What kinds of things are accepted as an alternative to the linkage to the CRA?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the answer. My concern in this area is that, by taking away the copays, many seniors who might use this program to renovate their homes to age in place may find that there is less money available than there has been in the past.

I recognize that the specific aging in place program is the same at $500,000, but maybe the Minister could put my mind at ease by telling me whether it is seniors who are the primary users of CARE or whether it is another segment of the population. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge Mayor Mark Heyck, a constituent of mine, and thank him for all the work he's done on behalf of the Anti-Poverty Steering Committee and as mayor of this community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, during the business planning process, we had some extensive discussion about the CARE programs. What I'm looking for now is an indication of where the CARE program -- oh, I see. It has gone down by $2 million. What I'm looking for is an indication of why this reduction has been made. Thank you.

Thank you. I asked that because I know a lot of the public housing stock is old and would not be energy efficient in terms of heating, but I guess that does not really apply to the power usage. It does lead me to ask what kinds of investments the Housing Corporation is making in energy efficiency in their units this year. Thank you.

Thank you. I appreciate that answer. Often, Yellowknife has been short-changed in public housing because of the fact that there is a market here for rental accommodation, and so I will just leave that where it is. The Minister referenced the CMHC decline. It was my understanding that the National Housing Strategy halted the decline in CMHC funding. Can the Minister confirm that, please?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't think it is appropriate to scold the housing authorities for having surpluses. That is prudent management on their part. The money is used for housing. In the case of Yellowknife, it is used to address the waiting list, which is the most substantial in the NWT. It looks like the housing authority is actually doing work which the Housing Corporation is not up to. I recognize that that may not be an ideal situation from their point of view, but I guess I want the Minister to acknowledge that this isn't wasted money; this is housing money, whether it is...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Further to that point, the Yellowknife Housing Authority had a fairly significant surplus, which they wanted to spend on creating more housing for their extensive waiting list. Has the Housing Corporation come to an agreement with the Yellowknife Housing Authority about how that money can be spent? Thank you.