Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. At one time in the past, there was a board that was established for housing. And we're looking at reinstating that as well too through the strategic renewal. I'll have President Young elaborate on the details. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Young.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, as the Minister said, we're reengaging with getting an appeal board structured and it is external folks that would be asked to be on the board. That appeals structure hears certain types of claims, like things like rental assessments and things like that. It does not hear things that would typically go to the rental office under the Department of Justice. So we do have to separate the two functional areas. They'll hear certain types of claims and the claims that are appropriate to go through the Residential Tenancies Act would go to the rental office. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also would like to see a policy on expulsion of drug dealers within the housing corp. We have many drug dealers that seem to be able to rent these houses, get into housing very easily, and pay the minimum rent because they're not working but they're doing other things, and big fancy cars sitting outside their house. I think that we have to have a policy. I don't know how we could deal with that but we have to think of something creative and innovative to ensure that this is not happening and that we look after families that really require housing. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is something that I've recognized as well too and I all them high traffic areas as well. And just looking at the health and safety of the tenants in our units and also the families as well. We do try to work with our tenancy agreements as well too and I want to enhance those agreements as well and just a lot more education with the clients. But I do understand that it requires a lot more attention than just basically that. We need legislation. We need something to drive and making sure that we do this correctly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Martselos.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to question the seniors aging in place retrofits and repairs. Does that come with a means test for seniors? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that does come with a means test. Thank you.
Mahsi. Ms. Martselos.
Mr. Chair, I want to question the means test for the homeownership program. Does that come under a means test also? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's correct.
Ms. Martselos.
So, you know, Mr. Chair, if we're going to continually use the means test for seniors and for people who are trying to gain ownership just because because I had a client from Fort Smith that applied to the homeownership program and were refuse. They were just like $10,000 over. The whole philosophy of homeownership has got to change and also the means test for seniors, if we truly believe in some of our statements that we make in this House. You're discouraging people from working. We should be encouraging people to work. And until that is switched around to the housing corp, we will never make change within our own people that want to have homeownership, that are able to or should be encouraged to work, and there should be a minimum amount of people who like the minimum wage amount that should be assessed at a certain thing but, you know, there should be a certain minimum payment monthly for people to encourage them to work. And until we change all these factors within the housing corp, things are not going to change too much. And I wonder if people start stepping back and looking at the whole picture, if we could make change. And I think that's the only way we are going to make change. We have all these policies coming from people who do not know our people, okay. We have bureaucrats writing these policies that are not okay. And I wonder if we could try and correct that and the Minister could be more innovative, staff could be more innovative, junior staff also be more innovative to our clients in all the NWT because they're the people that are accessing these housing are the ones that require some hope for the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And through the work that the housing has been doing up until this point, we are in the process right now of reviewing all of our programs as well. We work very closely with the Council of Leaders, and they have put forward their discussions with us as well on what should be changed. The Council of Leaders is the Indigenous governments throughout the Northwest Territories who equally participate. With that, they have been contributing to the changes that you'll see in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Ms. Martselos.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My last question is, there's 56 applicants for homeownership that were done across the territories. How many actually are complete? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. A lot of those applications there's a lot of back and forth that's going on to try to, making sure that these applications are successful. I don't have the number in front of me right now. But we do our best to try to support the individuals. What I've seen so far is some clients are interested in the homeownership program and once they realize that they're paying $300 a month, $800 a month, and just kind of questioning the utility costs and the maintenance of the units. But we try our best to try to counsel the tenants and also encouraging them that they're still going to be eligible for our programming. Just because they got into the homeownership does not eliminate them from applying back to the housing corporation for any type of upgrades for their unit. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Do you have another followup?
Mr. Chair, I asked just the number of completed applicants, and I got a big long spiel. And I really would appreciate that the Minister be very direct in the answers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My apologies to the Member. I just wanted to describe what it's like to try to process these applications. I will follow up with her with a number. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple questions actually. The first one is just elaborate there on what Mrs. Martselos said, talked about, which is the means test. The means test, can you tell me, I guess, how it is used? Like, is it just based on what on income, or does it take into account, you know, the cost of living as well? Like, you know, you might have somebody who has an older home, they're above the threshold, but their cost of living brings them down below that threshold. Like, how is it used? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's based just on income right now. But then what the Member is describing is exactly what I want the changes to reflect, to making sure that we don't set the clients up for failure, we don't put them into a deficit that they're not able operate and maintain their home, that we create the programming and create the changes that is best suited for the client. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. One issue I want to bring up, and it's probably under the major repairs, is in Hay River we have an issue, and it may be in other communities as well, where they use wood basements. We have a number in Hay River, I know, that are compromised because of frost. And the repair costs for those are probably a $100,000 plus. And I'm just wondering if there's any programs or if there's any I guess appetite to look for additional money to help those seniors that are facing that, because I know in Hay River there's a few seniors that have issues and continue to have issues with their wooden basements and which is really compromising their house, and it's a safety issue. Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll bring that back to the department. I know there's several unique situations throughout the territory. I want to use Nunakput as an example as well too where we have severe mould issues with the kind of builds that we construct in that area as well. I'd like to bring that back to the department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I had sent a request to the department I guess on that issue, and I don't recall getting a response but I'm glad I received one here today. And I hope that you can do something with it. And it may be looking at a separate program that's probably a double major repair program, because it's going to be costly.
The other thing I want to just talk about is seniors aging in place. And with respect to their retrofits and repairs, do you have the numbers, I guess, in front of you that would how many applicants, how many were approved and how many were denied? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If the Member could is this for seniors programming? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Simpson.
Seniors aging in place retrofits and repairs.
Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll have vicepresident Jim Martin respond with the numbers. Thank you.
Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the approved applicants under the seniors aging in place retrofits and repairs program, for 20212022 there was 128 applicants approved. And up to January of this year, we're already up to 203. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And out of the I guess total number of applications received, how many were denied and I guess the reasons for denial? I guess lack of money would be one but what else would there be? Thank you.
Mahsi. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We try to work with our client. I don't want to complicate what it is that we do. If they are denied for one programming or we're oversubscribed, we our best to try to move that program around or what type of repairs that individual may need. The department tries very hard not to deny the clients. We don't have that number in front of us right now, but we can get back to the Member with the number. Thank you.
