Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It has been about three years, but we’ll confirm that information and relay that on to the Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We appreciate the comment’s that the Member made and it’s correct, it is a team effort, not only with the folks delivering the program but I think it’s also the Members of the Legislative Assembly because, as I said before, without a lot of the support that they give us, it makes it harder for us to move some of our initiatives forward. So I think we can all take credit for that.

The decline in CMHC funding, I mean, that’s an issue that we’re going to have to deal with and we’ll have to continue to bring that forward.

The aging stock, again, that’s another one we have to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right I have Mr. David Stewart. He is the president of the NWT Housing Corporation. To my left I have Mr. Jeff Anderson, vice-president of infrastructure and finance, NWT Housing Corporation.

There are about three elements to the collection approach for our rental units. First of all, we need to improve the collection of current rent and we did note that 97 percent was a good sign that progress is being made, and I think we see that in all areas of the Northwest Territories.

Secondly, we need to ensure that those who have accumulated arrears enter into some form of repayment plan, and we do obtain rental officer orders for these tenants. We’re currently seeing the number of tenants with large arrears declining as people are starting to dig themselves out of the hole, and we still...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right I have Mr. David Stewart, president of the NWT Housing Corporation, to my left is Mr. Jeff Anderson, vice-president of finance and infrastructure of the NWT Housing Corporation. Thank you.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2015-16 Main Estimates for the NWT Housing Corporation. The main estimates propose a budget of $143.127 million, an increase of one percent from the 2014-15 Main Estimates. The budget includes a contribution of $85.368 million from the GNWT for 2015-16.

As Members are aware, one of the five priorities identified by the 17th Legislative Assembly is to address housing needs. The approach of the NWT Housing Corporation recognizes that there are significant differences in housing between our market and non-market communities and there are needs...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The agreement we signed was for money we get from Canada. We roll that money into many of the programs that we deliver, so through the CARE, PATH and mostly focused on the homeownership side. We utilize some of the money they give us along with the money we contribute and that goes towards many of the programs we offer. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, we work closely with the NWT Teachers’ Association. They provided some of the information as to some of the communities that are most challenged as far as housing goes. We relied a lot on some of the information, some advice we got from them. I will have Mr. Stewart add on to that, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, we have, through the PATH program – providing assistance to homeowners – and the HELP program. The HELP program is one where we try to transition people out of public housing. They’ll stay in a HELP unit for a couple of years and then if they feel that they would like to be homeowners, they can transition into the PATH program, which is providing assistance to homeowners. They have the option, I think, of purchasing the HELP unit that they’re in and I think they’re given a $10,000 incentive to move into homeownership.

We have $7 million that we have invested into CARE and PATH for...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. New units, we’re doing 40 replacement units in ’15-16 and we’re doing the 36 market rental units in ’15-16. We will be glad to provide a list to the Members. I believe we have all the locations and everything. We have all the locations, so we’ll provide that list to committee.