Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I talked about an issue that hits home with many single mothers and fathers: the Core Need Income Threshold and the issue of being eligible for public housing. Today I have questions for the Minister Responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. I’d like to ask the Minister: how often is a thorough review of the Core Need Income Threshold completed by the NWT Housing Corporation?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The homeownership Core Need Income Threshold is done on a two-year cycle. The rental Core Need Income Threshold, accepted by CMHC, is provided to the NWT Housing Corp every five years, in accordance with the Social Housing Agreement.
I’m interested in the Core Need Income Threshold for public housing. Did I hear correctly that the Minister said the numbers come from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or is there other data that’s used to determine the Core Need Income Threshold?
My information is that it comes mainly through the CMHC. As well, we do our own. In 2009 the Housing Corporation will be doing, as well, another housing survey to check on the number of core needs for just housing in general.
Can the Minister advise if the NWT Housing Corporation would look at a different way of determining Core Need Income Threshold? I can’t see how they could capture all community-assisted expenses if they’re using the Core Need Income Threshold handed down from the federal government.
Can the Minister advise if at some point the corporation would look at having all expenses to determine that core need income be community-specific?
The Member has raised a number of concerns in terms of housing policies, like with seniors and how that repair program is profiled. This is another issue. I’ll just make the commitment in the House that we’ll be willing and interested to sit down with committee to look at suggestions as we look at the broad policy review that’s underway currently in the Housing Corporation. As we move through this budget process, we will be moving right into the business planning process, so there’d be an opportunity to work with the committee to look at these very specific issues.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good. I’m glad that the Minister’s prepared to sit down with committee.
I would like to ask the Minister if he could commit to looking into creating some sort of special status for single mothers and fathers, in their need, to determine a different type of CNIT — Core Need Income Threshold — when the calculations are done. So if the Minister could commit to looking at some sort of special status for this group of people.
As we engage in the process we just talked about with committee, in terms of the review and the issues and concerns in regard to the various policies that are currently there, those would be the types of things we would hope to be able to come to resolution on. So yes, we’re prepared to talk about that fully.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
