Debates of February 29, 2016 (day 7)

Date
February
29
2016
Session
18th Assembly, 2nd Session
Day
7
Members Present
Hon. Glen Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Mr. Blake, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Ms. Green, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. McNeely, Hon. Alfred Moses, Mr. Nadli, Mr. Nakimayak, Mr. O’Reilly, Hon. Wally Schumann, Hon. Louis Sebert, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Vanthuyne
Topics
Statements

Question 80-18(2): Sahtu Region Housing Challenges

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my statement earlier, I mentioned I was going to address the housing minister on questions that are within our riding. As also mentioned earlier, housing needs are a fast-growing desire of many clients and many young couples and general public in all the communities.

My question to the Minister is: Can I get an inventory list on the assessment of the five set to communities? There are three types the units in all the communities. You got foreclosure units that are sitting there, as one of my previous colleagues have mentioned. They’re sitting dormant doing nothing, collecting snow, kids broke the windows, so the value of these units is vastly deteriorating. Insulation, as you know, gets cold, gets wet, it's no good. You might as well burn the unit down, settle for the insurance income, and build a new one.

---Laughter

You've got those types of units and you've also got social housing units, and those are getting old. You've got them units out there and you've got market housing as well. In those categories, if I can lump that up and get the inventory, if that's possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is actually, at this point, compiling a listing of all of the housing that we have available. Right now, we have no housing available for public housing. Just to let people know, the buildings that people see boarded up are scheduled for demolition, it’s expensive to do that, or else they are public houses owned by the community members, but we can provide a list of those houses that the corporation owns that are empty. Thank you.

I look forward to the information. My next question is, once we have the information, and considering the next few days we have of this Second Session, there will be some time for some people, but I am hoping that the Minister will have time and if she is willing to attend the Sahtu Housing Conference.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation.

I am more than interested in visiting the communities and the regions. I would, however, have to have a date, so I could check my schedule. If available, I would be pleased.

As advised here by a notable leader of mine, I would like to ask the Minister when and what dates she would be available within the next 60 days, so we could coordinate with the leadership of the Sahtu.

If the Member would like to meet with me any time this week, then we would coordinate our schedules and see what times works good for both of us.

I will take up that offer of the Minister and correspond accordingly.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.