Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Reducing poverty in our Territory has been a priority for this Assembly and very much a priority for me in this job. We’ve made some progress as a government, but certainly not enough.
The high cost of housing and housing shortages are a big part of the poverty problem. Many of our residents who work hard but earn low incomes simply cannot afford rent in Yellowknife and the regional centres. We’re fortunate to have some transitional housing in Yellowknife, most notably the YWCA’s Rockhill Apartments and the Bailey House for men run by the Salvation Army. There’s also plans to build Betty House, transitional housing for women.
This is all good, Mr. Speaker, but there’s still a problem. We are able to find or construct buildings for transitional housing, but financial help is limited for the people who actually live in them. I refer specifically to the working poor, those who cannot afford to pay market rent at Rockhill and who are not eligible for income support. I refer to the people who literally can’t afford to buy food after the rent is paid.
The YWCA operates 39 transitional housing units at Rockhill. What is desperately needed is a small contribution to support the Y tenants so that the Y can charge the rent geared to the tenant’s income. This small contribution would reduce a tenant’s rent by 10, 20, 30 percent based on their income. The Y estimates that an investment of just $100,000 a year would keep the breadwinners in these families working in 40 to 50 families, and it would prevent them turning to income support.
This is helping people to help themselves, Mr. Speaker, and many provinces do it. I believe the $100,000 expense would be recovered by a reduction in income support payments.
We have to begin funding modest but effective programs like this, programs that serve people better and save the government money. We have to start before Betty House is built because the problem the Y has experienced at Rockhill is sure to repeat itself at Betty House. At the other transitional housing, Bailey House, the Salvation Army charges its occupants $800 or $900 a month for their single units, but it’s nowhere near enough to cover the cost of running the facility. Even with assistance from Health and Social Services, Bailey House is facing a substantial annual deficit. Theirs is also an important program, one that encourages sobriety and responsibility.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The people in Yellowknife’s transition housing come from all over the Northwest Territories. Many are trying to rebuild and regroup after troubles in their lives. I use Yellowknife examples because it’s my community, but I know there are people in other communities who also cannot afford to eat and pay market rent.
Samuel Johnson once said that a decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization. I hope to hear some civilized answers from the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation during oral questions.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
