Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. I’d like to ask the Minister if he could direct his staff to look at the small communities where they are considered to have a high cost construction season. It’s almost over now, and some of these people are locked into the high cost of fuel from just generally high costs in small communities. Would the Minister direct his staff to quickly get materials that will make the houses more efficient — wood stoves, weather strips and whatnot — that are needed for our low income families in the small communities?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re moving forward as fast as we can on providing energy efficient homes in the Northwest Territories.
A couple of days ago we announced our new EnerGuide 80 design requirements that will have energy efficiency at the forefront. We are also embarking on doing evaluations of all our public housing units across the Territories. We have 2,300 units, and we would like to do a rating on all of them and see if we can do some upgrades so that we can save some of the heating and energy costs and provide energy efficient homes.
We are also reviewing the situation of how we can assist the people who own their own homes and have private homes that may need upgrades and energy efficient programs. There are other programs available through this government; however, the Housing Corporation is doing its own review to see how we can help.
I’m referring to home ownership, of course, where the individuals have to pay their own operating costs. I was wondering if the Minister could have the staff concentrate on the home ownership section, especially for homes where individuals are responsible for their own heat, power and so on but are deemed to be low income, within that income window where individuals will get assistance from the Housing Corporation.
We’re trying to focus on all the different aspects of energy efficiency, from public housing to home ownership programs, including people with low incomes. We would certainly be glad to work with the Member if there are any outstanding issues or concerns regarding people in his riding.
We have programs that most of the people can apply to currently and that may assist. But as to a specific program designed for energy efficiency for homeowners, that’s something we haven’t been able to firm up yet. We’re working on it and would be glad to share that once that’s done.
I guess I’m more or less thinking about a specific group of people: homeowners in small communities who have low incomes. I don’t really need a specific program. I suppose the Housing Corporation has consolidated all of their programs into 14 programs, and each of those programs is supposed to be able to encompass the assistance towards all home ownership clients or all housing clients.
I’ll ask the Minister again if they could take a portion of CARE and concentrate first on home ownership clients who are paying their own operating expenses, before getting into the public housing end, where the operating cost is paid by the Housing Corporation or the government.
We certainly can move forward on the recommendation the Member has provided.
We’re actually looking at more than just the CARE program. We’d like to see if we can bring things forward through the strategic initiative exercises that we have ongoing. We are considering that, and those things will be brought forward during the business plan. That will be packaged up, hopefully, with the CARE program and should help the homeowners across the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I was wondering if the Minister could communicate that to us in writing as soon as possible.
We had intended to come forward through the business planning process. However, if we can have all our initiatives firmed up so that we have a good understanding and some comfort that this is what we are going to do and if we have the dollars that are required, we would be glad to share that with the Members in writing.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
