Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about poverty and its impact on seniors. To better set the stage, in Yellowknife we have at least 55 seniors on the waiting list to get into Avens. As a matter of fact, there’s not a week goes by that I don’t have a call from someone who says they can’t even get on the list, they fear, maybe even their lifetime.
So, knowing that the last investments at Avens was 2007 where they were able to build eight units, and in 1992 where they were able to build 24 units, I’d like to ask the Minister of Housing when was the last investment invested into seniors housing in the Northwest Territories, more specifically in the Yellowknife area.
Can he describe the amount of housing provided to seniors and what investments in Yellowknife? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of NWT Housing, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In Yellowknife alone we’ve provided some money to the Aven’s Working Group to help with their new plan that they have going forward. Sixty-four percent of our homeownership projects in the last year have been utilized by seniors. So as far as the actual investment in seniors housing in Yellowknife itself, there hasn’t been much other than the programs that we have for repair, but across the Northwest Territories we have four seniors units that we’re building and one seniors unit that we’re replacing in some of the smaller communities. Thank you.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Housing why they’re not investing into more housing for seniors in Yellowknife. In my Member’s statement I pointed out that in the age category between 65 and 74 we’re going to see almost a 400 percent increase in growth, and further, at the age category of 75-plus we’re seeing over 400 percent growth in the next 11 years in seniors. So, clearly, seniors need housing. They need housing options, and these housing options will keep them out of poverty. Avens is an able and certainly a willing partner.
Would the Minister be willing to find some money to help invest in their project so they can expand housing solutions for seniors? Thank you.
As I said before, we have given $150,000 to help with the planning, and part of that planning, I’m assuming, is going to be a business plan coming forward with a dollar figure attached. So, we’ll look forward to seeing what they come up with.
As far as the Member’s numbers, the Member’s numbers are correct. You know, we do recognize that there is going to be a larger population of seniors down the road and we at the Housing Corporation are coming up with some innovative ways to try and address that. One of those ways is working with the City of Yellowknife on their Canada Winter Games proposal to see if there are opportunities for us there to provide something to them to use as an athlete’s village and then possibly turned into a seniors facility once the Games are done. So, we are finding innovative ways to stretch our limited resources as far as they can go. Thank you.
The Canada Winter Games, of course, is a number of years away. So, we can all hope, of course, and we’ll see if accountability actually shows up in a sense of someday that actually materializes. More specifically, the Minister says they’re looking for innovative ways.
What about being innovative by doing what the Housing Corporation’s portfolio is really about, about establishing housing in need areas? Seniors need housing. It keeps them out of poverty situations. They’re not all in that situation, but many are. CMHC facts will tell you that. So, if the Minister wants to be innovative, why doesn’t he make a decision today to say we’re going to put 50 more units in the city of Yellowknife within the next five years? He could do that by initiating that type of mandate and doing what Housing is supposed to do: build houses.
Housing does a good job of providing housing and programs, and as I said before, 64 percent of the uptake is from... Oh sorry, I thought you were…
I was looking at the Page here. Go ahead.
Sixty-four percent of the repair programs are taken up by seniors. As I said before, we are challenged again by our limited financial resources. We are trying to put together a plan to deal with a lot of the houses.
In some of the larger market areas we’re a little more challenged because we have our territorial Rent Supplement Program that provides some relief and we have a number of programs that are designed specifically for seniors and trying to help with their housing needs. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Sorry about that. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A 400 percent increase in seniors in the Northwest Territories in the Yellowknife-specific region only is a serious initiative.
When is the last time this Minister of Housing has put in a request for a capital investment to have a serious impact in the housing situation directly intended to invest in seniors to ensure that they have quality housing to keep them out of poverty? When was the last time we’ve had an investment, and furthermore, what’s stopping him from putting that request in to invest in seniors, invest in population growth that would make a huge difference? Thank you.
As I said before, we have four seniors units that are going up across the Northwest Territories. We have one that’s being replaced because of the age. So we have five in total and we continue to bring forward recommendations and we continue to have a look at where we can access money. As I said to the Member before, we are trying to come up with ways where we can deal with some of the issues of seniors housing here in the capital and I brought forward one of the things that we’re looking at. The Member talked about 11 years. I know the Games are a bit away, but we need to start the work and start the planning now so we’re not rushing at the last minute.
So, we continue to do what we can with our limited resources, again, being challenged with the CMHC declining funding, to bring more and more seniors housing on board, recognizing the fact that the population is growing rapidly over the next few years. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
