Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, this is a completely different environment we work in and we have to adapt to the environment we’re in and do whatever would work well for tenants. We’re doing the Shelter Policy review right now. The rent scale review is a part of that and I briefed committee the other day on when we expect to come forward with some preliminary information on the rent scale review as well the housing choices evaluation. But we’re always willing to listen. We’ve had Members in the committee meetings give us some good feedback on what they would like to see us improving and what they would like to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation recognizes the importance of having as many local people doing the contracts as possible. That’s why we ventured into some negotiated contracts with local contractors to help them build up the capacity so they can compete in an open market. We see that in the case of some of the ones that we’ve negotiated contracts with in the past. They are competing in the open market.

The Member says that there was $800,000 in negotiated contracts. Some of the numbers I have put that number a little higher. I mean, the one particular contractor, almost $1...

Again, if we are doing small capital projects that go out to the communities, even the smallest contracts are usually tendered out or sole sourced. It again would be up to the person doing the work as to whether they have or would need any summer students.

I do know that some of the LHOs will use summer students in some of the projects that they’re doing. That would be a determination that the LHO would make and, again, they would be able to finance that internally.

I think, I believe, I have shared with committee our plan on dealing with the arrears situation.

As far as the 161 percent, we obviously know that all the tenants that were assessed paid their rent on time, and then the other 61 percent probably put the money onto their arrears. I mean, we have a pretty good idea in every LHO across the territory who’s paying what. I’m able to see that sometimes, so we know all the tenants that have entered into repayment plans and we know which ones have honoured their repayment plans. We know which ones paid rent the last time, six months ago. We have all...

We still have to find out what we’re going to do. It’s not our intent to leave a lot of this infrastructure on the site. Obviously, we had made efforts to try and have folks bid on it. It was auctioned off. The winning bidders, as I said, didn’t pick it up. We have to find a way that we can remove this site and not have to wait for 300 years.

The LHOs identify how many students they would need and they’ve become very good at trying to access any pots of money that are out there to assist them with paying the wages for students. They’re able to make that determination and determine how many students they would need for the summer and they would find the financing.

Most LHOs have tenant relations officers that work with the tenants and bring them up to date on their rental arrears and how they can best address them. They’re called tenant relations officers and they work closely with the tenants.

As far as the district office, I mean, the district offices usually work very closely with LHOs and they give them some guidance and direction. They’re just another sounding board for the LHOs.

We want to ensure that from headquarters right down to the LHOs all policies and procedures are followed very closely, because it won’t work very good if we start doing one...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The assets were auctioned off, however, the winning bidder did not pick them up. They were given final notice and still did not pick them up. We’re exploring other options as to how we can get a lot of the major infrastructure off the property.

Mr. Speaker, this is a completely different environment we work in and we have to adapt to the environment we’re in and do whatever would work well for tenants. We’re doing the Shelter Policy review right now. The rent scale review is a part of that and I briefed committee the other day on when we expect to come forward with some preliminary information on the rent scale review as well the housing choices evaluation. But we’re always willing to listen. We’ve had Members in the committee meetings give us some good feedback on what they would like to see us improving and what they would like to...

As I said earlier, we give them every opportunity to try and rectify the situations that some of them find themselves in. I can point out to the Member that in the community that he mentioned, the overall collection went from a very low number to over 100 percent now; the collection rate. I understand that we’ve had some of these issues in the past and I think the folks there are getting the message, which is encouraging to the Housing Corporation and encouraging to the LHO, because they’re able to use that money now to do some much needed repairs in the communities.

We’ve had other places...