Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, if we have no eligible client for that one particular unit, as I have said before, we will try another targeted intake to see if there may be eligible applicants that we may have missed. If that fails, then we would speak to communities to see if they have... We have had community groups approaching us about the availability of some of our youths. We have said to hold off until after our application process. All that being failed, we have to... We will consider turning them over to a public housing unit, because that is one of our biggest needs in a lot of our communities. Thank...

Mr. Speaker, arrears is a huge concern. That is why I have been trying to get the message out across the NWT that arrears need to be taken care of because it affects your ability to access some of the programs. However, that being said, one of the programs, the HELP program, does allow a minimum amount of arrears. I believe it is up to $5,000, and the flexibility, I have also asked the corporation, as I have said in my Minister’s statement, to look at the core need income threshold and maybe be a little more flexible in that, because we have a lot of people out there that would be good...

Thank you. The Seniors Preventative Maintenance Program enables seniors to access up to $2,000 for some work. There are also two or three programs, where we’re a delivery agent for CMHC, that specifically targets seniors and one of them is Home Adaption for Seniors and Dependents. So there are some programs out there.

I’ve heard the Member’s concerns, I’ve heard the concerns from one of his communities that I visited. So it is one that I will take back to the corporation and see how we can best address the needs of seniors. Thank you.

Once a unit is determined to be unsafe or unhealthy to live in, or beyond economic repair, then the plan is normally to demolish the units and replace them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to update Members and the general public on recent housing construction and related vacancies in the NWT.

Over the summer, I, along with fellow Members of Cabinet and this Assembly, had the opportunity to tour communities in our Territory. One of the more common questions we were asked pertained to vacant housing units. It is understandable that concerns have been raised about vacancies in our housing portfolio, especially given the level of core housing need in many of these communities. Therefore, I would like to provide some context for why there are...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2009 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is our intent to have this...(inaudible)...legislation passed through the 16th Assembly. We do take all concerns very seriously and this is one that we are starting to hear a bit more about in recent days. As a 16th Assembly, if this is a priority of the 16th Assembly, then that will enable us working with committee to move the legislation along a lot quicker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously this is a concern that we have heard on a couple of occasions now. Although MACA, through the consumer affairs department, hasn’t really received any complaints, we understand that it is still a concern out there. There is the cost of credit disclosure that is going to be introduced and that would compel the lending companies to fully disclose the interest rates that they are charging on loans. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of doing that right now. We are hoping to have an appeals committee in place by April 1, 2011. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once the application process is over today I will be able to provide some numbers to the Members, if they wish to see the number of applicants in their communities.