The strategic framework Building for the Future: Northern Solutions for Northern Housing, released on April 16, 2012, outlines the direction that the Housing Corporation will be taking in delivering housing programs and services to NWT residents.
Our new strategic framework has refocused the GNWT’s approach to housing delivery based on what we learned from the shelter policy review. Building for the Future capitalizes on the successes of existing housing programs and services, provides improvements where there are gaps in support, and makes changes to programs to better suit the needs of territorial residents.
Building for the Future identifies eight strategic priorities and related actions that will, over the long term, address the spectrum of need from homelessness to home ownership. These eight strategic priorities are:
strengthening public housing;
improving home ownership supports;
increasing housing options in non-market communities;
improving housing services;
strengthening the approach to homelessness and transitional housing;
addressing housing challenges for the working poor;
developing infrastructure solutions based on individual and community needs; and
addressing the declining federal funding.
Mr. Speaker, I spoke last week of the changes in the public housing rent scale, but today I want to highlight other actions contained in Building for the Future.
As part of our priority to improve home ownership supports, the Housing Corporation will be expanding the availability and targeting of repair programs. We’re introducing a new emergency repair program called SAFE for situations like freeze-ups and furnace failures. The program will target low- and modest-income homeowners, including seniors on fixed incomes, and will be available any time during the year. There will be a streamlined application and approval process, and arrears and land tenure will not be considered as part of eligibility. This program will be of significant benefit to low- and modest-income households to address emergency problems before they cause even greater issues in their home.
The working poor face unique housing challenges. The challenges are partly addressed through the changes in the public housing rent scales but also by the new Transitional Rent Supplement Program announced as part of the budget. This new program will support low- and modest-income residents that are unable to get into public housing but are in core need because of high market rents. This program will help students, lone-parent families and those ready to move from transition housing to market rentals.
Mr. Speaker, each year the federal funding for operating social housing is declining. This is a major challenge facing our government and by 2037-38 the remaining $17 million in annual federal funding will be eliminated. We continue to work on this priority with the federal government, but we can’t wait for Canada to change its approach. We have made investments to address the declines so far but we have to do more. Our costs to operate public housing keep going up while federal funding declines. We need a sustainable rent scale and a public housing program that operates as efficiently as possible. We have to consider reducing our public housing stock and continue to concentrate on arrears and rent collection.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation is implementing many of the strategic priorities and actions set out in Building for the Future during 2012-13 but are also working on the additional actions. I will continue to keep the Assembly and the committee updated on the implementation of our strategic framework. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
