Debates of June 2, 2006 (day 4)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are going to be directed to the Honourable David Krutko, Minister of Housing, with respect to the Affordable Housing Strategy that’s going to be rolling out in the next three years. Having worked here and lived here in Yellowknife for quite a number of years myself, I just don’t really see the real need for more public housing in Yellowknife because the public housing units here, there are not many people pounding on their doors or phoning their MLAs everyday, as they are in the smaller communities, to raise public housing issues and the need for public housing. I understand that Yellowknife is going to be receiving 62 units out of this Affordable Housing Strategy. Many of those are going to be public housing units and that at $180,000 per unit, that’s just over $11 million that the government is going to be putting into their Affordable Housing Strategy here in Yellowknife, which has a thriving housing market, which has a lot of people employed and making good money, which has a lot of financial institutions willing to lend out money even to people in the lower income bracket. I think that $11 million could be spent where it is better needed in the smaller communities, or it could go into a transient centre, a treatment centre or even a women’s shelter here in Yellowknife where it would be well received. Have they really looked at why they want to spend $11 million on affordable housing in Yellowknife where there is lots of housing, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 41-15(5): Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the investment we are looking at making in Yellowknife over the next number of years is to replace a lot of our public housing in Yellowknife and be able to put more seniors’ housing on the ground by way of seniors' facilities for Yellowknife. That is the area that we are looking at. Again, the housing for Yellowknife is basically to replace the existing housing stock we have here in Yellowknife.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 41-15(5): Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the latest briefings that we did receive from the Minister, all of these housing units, there are a lot of single detached units, single family condos, multi-family condos, but there are 62 units that still equates to $11 million that the government is going to put into the housing market here in Yellowknife. Is that going to disrupt the current market housing framework here in Yellowknife? Are prices for houses suddenly going to go up? Are they going to go down? Has the government even looked at what the ramifications are going to be in the larger centres like Norman Wells, Hay River or Fort Smith where there are 167 units going to be going into these market housing communities? There already is a market there. Has the government really looked at what kind of disruption they are going to create? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 41-15(5): Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, we do have a lot of housing authorities, especially in Yellowknife. We have the YK Housing Authority. We have the North Slave Housing Authority. We are working with those agencies in which they have come to us with their needs. They identified these areas that they need to continue to build on for their residents in Yellowknife. I think, because of the housing demands also in Yellowknife, especially for social housing, because these are for social housing clients that we want to address those people in Yellowknife and not to compete against the private sector by way of the condos and whatnot that are out there. We are basically going forward on the requests that were made from the Yellowknife local housing authorities in regards to their requests. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. A short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 41-15(5): Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that a lot of LHOs around the NWT say their needs are so and so, but basically they just want to be treated fair and equitable with other communities of the NWT. Everybody wants their fair share. That is understandable. I want to mention to the Minister, with this housing authority, I don’t see people pounding on the Yellowknife Housing Authority’s door to ask for more public housing. If I see an ad in the paper for rent, like subsidized public housing, in the newspaper, I know it is for information only but it is also advertising that, hey, we have public housing available. Come and ask us. Just with that point there, Mr. Speaker, sometimes that need is kind of taken a little bit too top heavy. We have to address it. Is the Minister going to revisit those needs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 41-15(5): Affordable Housing Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, we are just completing a census in regards to the Northwest Territories. I think, once we have the final census done, it will give us an idea exactly what the needs are for here in Yellowknife, what the different classes of need we are looking at. Again, it was based on surveys that we did. It has been identified by the Yellowknife authorities to say exactly where they want to see us invest this money. Again, it is something that we will have to look at. By reviewing the existing surveys, we will be able to see where that need is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Time for question period has expired. I will allow the Member for one last, final supplementary. Mr. Villeneuve. Okay. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 6, oral questions. Thank you.