Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will take committee’s advice and input when we’re developing the strategy. We need to make sure that when the money is declining, we’re able to meet the challenge. We do continue to support local development. I know from experience that there were times where the Housing Corporation would make a commitment to buy materials from local producers and distribute them to the LHOs, and unfortunately these products didn’t quite measure up and there were issues with that. But we’re always looking for ways that we can continue to support and we’ll make it part of our...

We’re looking to sit down with committee as soon as possible. I think the offer has been made to discuss some of the community needs survey numbers. I’ve also offered to sit with committee and get their feedback on some of what they’d like to see for the Housing Corporation. We’re hoping, our intent is, this infrastructure budget, this is one that we’re passing today, the budget that we bring forward next year I think will reflect the community needs survey and where we need to put what units. Obviously we’ll be seeking input from committee on that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, a couple years ago we had an issue where we were looking for material supply, and it was a tender that was for the whole Northwest Territories. So we had some concerns from some of the district providers, so that was changed and they broke it out into districts so the districts would be able to provide quotes on it.

The supply, ship and erect, it is a concern to some of the smaller operators. The ones I know have the capacity to deal with it, but there are some that are just comfortable doing the labour part of it only because they don’t want to have the...

These positions will be in the Executive headquarters and they will be supporting the work of the regions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, that number is going to stay the same. What we’re hoping to do with the transfer is the money is still with ECE. We’re hoping or our intent is to come through with a supp request in the May session.

Yes, I’ll have a discussion with the MACA Minister. It is an area we’ve seen a great improvement and I was responding to Mr. Bromley before when I mentioned that there were some issues worked out between his communities and the Housing Corporation to making land available. We were having good discussions with one of the Member’s communities where they’re thinking about making land available. As I said before, putting houses on the ground is something that we do. Land tenure is something we continue to work on. Communities are starting to realize now that it is to their benefit to have land...

The money that we got from the federal government for the Canada Economic Action Plan, this coming fiscal year, ‘10-11, is the last year of that money. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, there’s always an opportunity there for LHOs that want to take this work on themselves. You’ll find in most communities this is a source of summer employment for a lot of people. There are people that have been working on M and I projects for the last 16, 17 years and it’s basically their employment for the year. What they would do, as far as extra money goes, the budget that’s budgeted here, I mean, they’d fit that into their budget. Their money would probably go a lot further than if they were to bring a contractor in, and I think some of the LHOs are recognizing that. So taking...

The Member raises a good point. It’s always beneficial if we discuss the arrears and get the message out there, that there are a lot of people that have been coming to the LHOs and making arrangements to start working on their arrears. In most cases with the LHOs it could be as low... I mean, anything that they can pay a month is usually welcome. We’ve seen cases where folks have started a repayment plan, they’ve honoured their commitment, they still are in some arrears but because they’ve honoured their commitment, they’ve been put back on the waiting list and a few of them have actually got...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member raises a few points that are of concern to us. Federal funding is obviously the big one. That’s something that this year alone I think we’re in the neighbourhood of $670,000 that we’ve lost. Since the start of this, I think it’s up to $5.8 million and that goes into the Member’s next point of improving the rent collection. I think that would go a long way into alleviating some of the money that we could be losing from CMHC. It’s a message that we’re starting to get out there and I think folks out there are starting to realize that it’s to their benefit, too, if...