Debates of November 27, 2007 (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. It is in regards to several letters that I received concerning the whole area of how we assess an individual’s rent. Most of it is based on gross income. I think what we are seeing is a lot of people are being evicted from public housing and also with the amount of money that individuals are left with after they pay their rent and be able to access things such as food and clothing for their families. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue not only here in the Northwest Territories; it is a problem in Nunavut and other jurisdictions in northern Canada. I would like to ask the Minister if he had an opportunity to review the information that I presented to him in regards to the area of refocusing our assessment instead of looking at the gross but looking at the area of net income? Is that something that the Minister is open to?

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

Return To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the most part, the Housing Corporation has become the landlord. Those programs are administered through Education, Culture and Employment. We have been working collectively together to make sure that we come up with a way community by community to do the assessments with a one-window approach. But the issue the Member raised is one that is on the table before Cabinet and will be dealt with by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regards to the issue of the rent supps that are in place, a lot of these individuals aren’t able to access the social housing subsidy that they were able to get prior to this handing over to ECE. It is becoming a problem. Before they were getting the income assessment by way of the housing subsidy, but yet today they are not. I would like to ask the Minister, is he willing to consider doing an assessment of the program in the Mackenzie Delta riding in regards to ensuring that the programs being delivered as it was supposed to through a transitional process from our Housing Corporation to ECE to see if it is working? If it is, great. If not, let’s fix it.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the government shares the Member’s concern. As I indicated, Education, Culture and Employment has been working with the Housing Corporation. We are engaged in a process as we speak, going across the North community by community to make sure that we have a process that fits in every community in terms of doing the proper assessments. The program hasn’t changed, per se, but we are committed to doing that. I am committing to sit down with committee to review how we intend to move forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me when he will get around to dealing with the communities in my riding in regards to the Mackenzie Delta in regards to the review that he mentioned?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the timeline that we are working towards is to have it concluded by the end of this week. Every community will have been visited by a team of folks from ECE and the Housing Corporation to talk to the community folks involved in this program delivery to try to work out a tailor-made approach in each community. When that result is in, we will be coming forward with the plan to committee to show how we intend to move forward on this issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. A final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, later today I am going to be tabling a petition with 81 names on it. I think 81 names in a community are a lot of concerned individuals. I would like to ask the Minister, in regards to these individuals that have signed a petition making the government aware it is a crisis situation, how soon can he act in regards to ensuring that we do this assessment and we let the public know that we are going to act in regards to this serious issue in our community?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 25-16(1): Public Housing Rent Assessment Formula

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these programs are being administered and delivered as we speak. There have been some rough patches that have been acknowledged and recognized. We are working to fix those. I am aware of the concerns of the Members and the Member for Mackenzie Delta in particular. We are working on the concerns as we speak. Thank you.