Statements in Debates
Obviously, this government takes its role at trying to look after our seniors very seriously. That’s why a lot of seniors, for the last 16 years, that are living in public housing are not paying public housing rent, and a lot of seniors have sold their units to move into public housing because of that. We feel with the initiatives that we’re undertaking right now, it might keep more seniors in their own homes and free up public housing units for those that are really in need of public housing.
But as the Housing Corporation, I’ve relayed to the Member that we do have an emergency repair program...
Mr. Speaker, we have had some initial discussions as to some of the alternatives that might be available. We have to further those discussions and see, because we have a lot of athletes that take part in the ice portion, which I said before is a core part of the Arctic Winter Games. We have to try and ensure that they have an opportunity during the Arctic Winter Games season to gather and compete. Thank you.
Obviously, it would be to our benefit if we were to meet with all those that were able to provide some expertise and how we can best move forward on this. I would commit to the Member that as we look at developing this particular initiative, I will commit to meeting with the experts in this particular field.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a cause for some concerns; however, it’s a decision that’s made by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. They make the decision and I think they take into account the location of the games and the fact that they don’t have some of the facilities. Obviously, we’ve relayed our concerns, because a lot of the ice sport activities and games are a core part of the Arctic Winter Games. It’s a decision that’s made by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee and we have relayed our concerns on to them. However, I’m expecting that we’ll be hearing a lot...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member raises a very good point and I think it’s one that we need to have some follow-up discussion on as a department, because as he’s said, across the country all the jurisdictions have their own Building Standards Act. We ask our communities that are putting up projects to build it with best practices in mind following, obviously, all the building codes, the National Building Code and that. As I said before, it’s to the community’s benefit if they build buildings that conform to all these regulations and they have good quality product. It’s been raised on a...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is actually the first that I’ve heard of this particular program and I would have to follow up with the NWT Housing Corporation and see what happened with that, where it went, any future plans.
As I said before, through the independent home ownership program they had a couple years ago they were able to get a lot of independent seniors into their own units. But the Member has raised a good point on co-locating with family members. I will commit to the Member that will follow up with the corporation and see where this is at, because I haven’t heard of it before.
Mr. Speaker, since the implementation of the New Deal for NWT Community Governments in 2007, community governments have been in control of their own infrastructure priorities. The New Deal has changed the way they do business with Municipal and Community Affairs, and as a result, the department’s role has transformed into that of coach, advisor and supporter.
Building on the ideas and intentions of the New Deal, MACA worked with the NWT Association of Communities and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT to develop the Accountability Framework. It will emphasize and reinforce the goals...
Thank you. There have been a lot of changes in the Housing Corporation with the shelter policy review, a lot of proposed changes. We have a very extensive communication plan that we’re planning on rolling out very soon here to make the public out there aware of all of the programs and some of the changes that are going on within the NWT Housing Corp. So we’re hoping to roll that out fairly soon, and get the information out, and be on the website and a fairly extensive communication plan. I’d be willing to sit down with the Member or Members and share that with them. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In our discussions across the Northwest Territories during the very extensive consultation process, it was pointed out that there was need to assist, as the Member pointed out, the working poor. We have a lot of people that are just starting in the workforce; we have a lot of people coming out of school going into the workforce. So we felt that they needed a bit of help for the first couple of years and then after that they would either graduate into home ownership or be able to afford private market housing. So we designed a program called the Rent Supplement Program...
Thank you. Again, this is not all contingent on cell phone service, but we need to improve our communication across the Northwest Territories and that’s one of the things that I had said. One of the things we discussed in the FPT Ministers meeting in Victoria was the fact that some of the information now they want to send out via Twitter and Facebook and that’s not available to a lot of communities.
Again, I go back to it is our intent to sign on to this. We’re in discussions with the service provider and the providers in the Northwest Territories. So we’re in that process right now and we...