Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's good that the Minister wants to work together with the housing.
Mr. Speaker, we only have public housing in my communities. I also have residents that are on income assistance and I have spoken about this in the House many times. But our residents are not always on fixed, stable income, that means the housing can be impacted. I thought we dealt with this, Mr. Speaker. It's income tax season, CERB emergency payments, that was not declared, are impacting my residents and it is going to impact all the residents across the Northwest Territories soon. They are being told that their rents will change; the housing is in jeopardy, Mr. Speaker. The government has advised this House that they would not consider CERB payment as income and will not impact the public housing and the income support program. But, Mr. Speaker, it is impacting both.
Being impacted, some in my constituency are in support residence in public housing. The Minister, I want her to work together with us in regards to getting this sorted out, the CERB payments and the income support with the Minister. Again, my residents are telling me, CERB emergency payments are being declared and counted as additional income. The people in public housing, including seniors, have their rents increased if they received CERB payments.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government gives so easily but it's time to claw back they're going to take full advantage of that. We have to help the residents in our riding. I need to make for sure my residents are not being punished for taking CERB. That was an emergency program through the COVID19 program. This should not penalize the poorest people in our communities. I should remind the House that my communities have dealt with COVID outbreaks, isolation, and lockdowns. We need sympathy and we need our residents here, Mr. Speaker. Our residents are not recognized in this government policy. And another example of that we cannot have these emergency funds impact the most vulnerable people in the Northwest Territories in the small communities, Mr. Speaker.
11 o'clock the other day I had an elder call me. For not declaring CERB, he was going to be evicted from his house and penalized from income support for two months. 62 years old, Mr. Speaker. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. And I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
