I have a Return to Written Question 3-16(2) asked by Mr. Robert C. McLeod on February 8, 2008, regarding client access to housing programs.
Under the four Housing Choices programs, a total of 28 clients had been approved as of February 12, 2008. For privacy reasons, client’s names have not been included.
Under the program entitled Providing Assistance for Territorial Homeownership (PATH), assistance is provided to eligible applicants in the form of a forgivable loan. The forgiveness period is dependent on the amount of assistance provided. Financial assistance is provided in increments based on the applicant’s income, family size and the community Core Need Income Threshold (CNIT). CNIT means the financial test utilized for the purpose of determining targeted households. These reflect the minimum income required for a household to afford appropriate accommodation without spending more than 30 per cent of its gross income for shelter. Additional assistance is available for improving the accessibility of dwellings for persons with disabilities.
Under the PATH program, one client was approved to receive funding of $170,000. Of that amount, $80,000 was approved to assist in the purchase of an existing home, and an additional $90,000 was approved under Disabled PATH, so that the client could complete renovations to the home to make it accessible for wheelchair mobility.
The Homeownership Entry Level Program (HELP) assists eligible applicants who are not able to secure mortgage financing or are unsure about homeownership responsibilities. It allows them to experience homeownership commitments before purchasing a home. Assistance is provided through lease on a Northwest Territories Housing Corporation home, and the tenant pays 20 per cent of their gross income toward the lease (rent) payment. The tenant is responsible for shelter costs such as power and water delivery, and the services are to be in the tenant’s name. After successfully completing a two-year lease (rental) period, the tenant is eligible to receive a $10,000 contribution, which must be used to lower the price of a home the tenant intends to purchase. One client was approved for assistance under the HELP program.
Under the Contributing Assistance for Repairs and Enhancements (CARE) program, assistance is provided to eligible applicants in the form of a forgivable loan to subsidize the cost of preventative maintenance checks, repairs and renovations for their existing home. The forgiveness period is dependent on the amount of assistance being provided. The financial assistance is provided in increments based on the applicant’s income, family size and the community CNIT. Additional assistance is available for improving the accessibility of dwellings for persons with disabilities. Twenty-six clients have been approved under CARE, and each was provided with assistance in the amount of $475 for preventative maintenance on their homes, totalling $12,350 of assistance having been provided under this program.
Under the Solutions to Educate People (STEP) program, assistance is provided to eligible applicants in the form of four courses (no fee), which are each 6.5 hours in length and delivered in each community. Some of the courses are prerequisites for access to the other three programs. The number of Inuvik participants in the four courses was 29, broken down as follows:
nine people attended the Financial Skills I: Budgeting Course;
nine people attended the Financial Skills II: Banking & Credit Course;
nine people attended the Home Purchase Course; and
two people attended the Home Maintenance & Repair Course, which provided one-on-one instruction.
Under the Emergency Repair Program (ERP), which is a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation program delivered by the Housing Corporation, financial help is provided to persons undertaking emergency repairs required for safe occupancy of their houses. The nature of the repairs is limited to repairs that are urgently required to make the house fit for human habitation, rather than to restore the house to the minimum property standards. Financial assistance is received in the form of a contribution to a maximum assistance of $11,000. Two clients were assisted under this program; each received $850 for a total expenditure of $1,700 under the program.
Under the Expanded Downpayment Assistance Program (EDAP), a program in place prior to the implementation of Housing Choices, the funding for one of the Housing Corporation’s client’s was completed in April 2007 after the housing choice programs were implemented. A total of $114,500 was received by that client under the EDAP program toward purchasing an existing home. The program provided clients in core housing need with subsidies in the form of a forgivable loan to purchase and repair a home, to construct a new home or to repair an existing home.
