Mr. Speaker, I’d like to discuss the availability of housing policies at both the community and the territorial level. Like most MLAs, the interactions I have with constituents very often centre on housing issues. By the time the constituent gets to their MLA, it’s usually difficulties they’ve encountered with their housing, not happy occurrences, they want to discuss. We’ve heard references previously from members of the Auditor General’s office that applications for housing from NWT residents are not always fairly dealt with by local housing authorities. In these situations, when faced with trying to find some answers, I discovered there are no housing policies or guidelines I can reference. Yet constituents are routinely advised by the LHO, the local housing office, that their requests are being denied because of a policy.
Inquiries to both the LHO and the NWT Housing Corporation offices have provided me with minimal information. I asked for a copy of the policy book — the policies that govern the LHO. I wrongly assumed that an organization such as an LHO would be able to articulate the policies and the guidelines on which they assign housing. I was advised, and I quote, “that they have as few policies as possible, because they want to provide service based on individuals and do not want to spend their time quoting or debating policy.” I asked for any policies they have and was advised they couldn’t provide them. I was advised by the LHO that they follow national standards. To their credit, I did receive a list of the National Occupancy Standards on which the LHO bases their decisions for assigning housing. That information came to me by an e-mail.
Housing is a basic human right, Mr. Speaker, and the GNWT spends some $40 million annually to ensure the NWT residents have proper housing. We should be able to articulate just how housing needs for families, disabled persons, single persons and so on are determined. We should be able to articulate the restrictions that exist for some of our residents who apply for public housing, yet I can’t access these or any other policies that govern decisions made daily by our LHOs. It is no wonder the Auditor General found unfair allocations of housing. How can it be fair when each LHO operates on a case-by-case basis? How can it be fair when each LHO can set its own rules and guidelines? No wonder we, as MLAs, get so many complaints about housing from our constituents. I hope my experience is an aberration, Mr. Speaker, not the norm.
At the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister Responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
