Debates of October 27, 2004 (day 29)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is also to the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, I understand that in the year 2038 the federal government is hoping to get out of the housing business. In saying that, Mr. Speaker, the recent surveys done by the Housing Corporation indicate that 35 percent of houses in the Sahtu are in core need. Can the Minister tell the House and tell the people in the Sahtu what plans are in place to decrease the number from 35 to an acceptable number that would be sufficient to the Sahtu people? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there are several ways that we can work with the communities and with the Sahtu region. That’s to devolve more authority to those communities through universal partnership agreements and also ensuring that the needs surveys that we develop are able to meet the most needs of the communities that are out there. Definitely the Sahtu is one of them. I think once we put forward our business plans for next year, we will be focusing on those needs surveys to ensure that we are able to accommodate the communities that are in most critical need. So we are working with communities and also developing our business plans coming forward next year.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I want to ask request the Minister what type of plans does his department have in terms of working with the federal government to ensure that maybe the federal government does need to phase out the funding for housing here, similar to what the government has looked at with the First Ministers’ health funding or the equalization payments? Surely this government can question the federal government in terms of looking at housing as a crucial and essential need for the Northwest Territories.

Surely, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important that we continue the dialogue from the first meeting held with the federal Minister. All the issues we raise here in the House he is aware of. He comes from a part of northern Ontario where they have a lot of housing issues; I think also because of being a former co-chair of the Liberal Caucus committee who looked at housing back in the '70s, along with the chair at the time who was Mr. Paul Martin. So because Paul Martin is now the Prime Minister of Canada and Mr. Fontana is now the Minister of Housing, hopefully the recommendations they put forward in that report, which talks about social housing programs, they’ll be open to bringing forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous Minister of the Housing Corporation did a tour of the Sahtu region, and one of the issues that came up for the people was the block housing and the ways that we could cut down costs. But it also makes sense to use our own resources and also use the opportunity to provide training for our people. Would the Minister commit to this House and to the people of the Sahtu that the previous commitments made by the Minister in terms of providing a package for log housing that could be suitable and affordable for people in the Sahtu region? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now there is a program that we offer through our housing programs. It’s basically put forward for the individual or the client to go out of their way to get their logs, bring their logs into the community, get it on the site, and then the government will allow them the resources to purchase the material to construct the unit. But it is up to the individual to have sweat equity going into this program. So they have to go out of their way to ensure they get the logs, they peel them, they bring them onto the site, and then the government will implement that program. So there is a program to do that already in place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. I want to take this a little step further. Would the Minister work with the Minister of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in devising a training program that would take out some of the young people to do a training program in terms of log building, putting a house together that would cut down costs and look at that as being a pilot project in the Sahtu region? So then we could have some long-term viability for the people in our region and the rest of the communities in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, as the Minister, am definitely open to proposals from any community if there are projects out there that they feel would really make a difference to the housing challenges they face in the communities. I’m willing to look at that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Minister. The people in the Sahtu would be very happy to do a proposal. Would the Minister commit to a meeting with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment within this fiscal year to put out a proposal that would be beneficial to our people? We need to hear from the government saying this is what we can do, this is the amount of dollars that we commit to this pilot project. Would the Minister give a commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 318-15(3): Reduction Of Housing Funding

Definitely I can’t commit for the Minister of Education, but I definitely will suggest that we sit down and talk about this. He’s heard the questions, so hopefully we can consider finding ways to implement such a program. Thank you.