Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going back to my Member’s statement talking about seniors and the struggles they face, I want to direct my questions today to the Minister of the NWT Housing Corp. A lot of seniors would like to stay in their own homes, but the monthly utility costs are getting to the point where they can’t afford it. I’d like to ask the Minister of Housing whether there’s a program within the Housing Corp that assists seniors with monthly utility costs, which would enable them to stay in their own homes.
The honourable Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The one main program that is there for utilities, mainly fuel, of course, is the Seniors’ Fuel Subsidy Program that is administered by ECE. In addition, there is the fund that is administered with land taxes. We have, through Housing, a Seniors' Home Repair Program that homeowner seniors may be eligible for if they apply. These are three funds that speak to the area that’s been raised by the Member.
I thank the Minister for that. The fuel subsidy, I think, is a one-time deal, if I’m not mistaken. It’s very helpful. I’ve had seniors who’ve accessed that fund before. It’s much appreciated, but what I’m talking about are the monthly utility costs, like fuel and electricity. I think that would go a long way in assisting seniors to stay in their own homes and not have them move into public housing and take up public housing stock.
I’d like to ask the Minister if the department would consider such a program that would assist seniors with monthly utility costs and would allow them to stay in their own homes.
The Fuel Subsidy Program is an annual program that seniors can apply for. If they’re eligible, they’ll get up to the equivalent of five cords of wood, or 2,200 litres of fuel. We also have everybody outside of Yellowknife in the diesel communities in the North subsidized for the first 1,700 kilowatts under the Territorial Power Support Program.
Of course, through the business-planning process we’d be very interested to sit down and talk to and work with the Social Programs Committee. We’ve already looked at some of the issues for seniors, how the seniors programs are currently structured under the new core program, given, of course, the broad concern of our fiscal reality. We are always interested to talk about ways we can improve services that are affordable.
I thank the Minister again for that. I am aware of the fiscal situation we’re facing right now. It’s just that this is something I firmly believe is needed, and I think it’s something we could discuss during the business plans in September.
A senior moves into public housing and they’re over 60; I think they pay no rent. I’d like to ask the Minister: who covers the cost of maintaining the public housing unit they’ve moved into? Obviously there’s a cost to it, and I think it’s around $1,800 or something like that per month, per unit. I’d like to ask the Minister: who covers the cost of the maintenance and upkeep on that unit per month?
The Housing Corporation. There’s no rent or costs billed to the seniors, so this is covered through the operations of the Housing Corporation.
I appreciate the answer. The costs are eaten by the Local Housing Authority; I think I’m correct in assuming that. I’d like to ask him if there’s any subsidy that comes from ECE, or is the whole cost eaten by the Local Housing Authority?
Those folks who are eligible for the Public Housing subsidy would have funds flow to them from ECE. The issue with seniors’ housing and no rent was a political decision of this Legislature back in, I believe, 1995 or 1996. The costs have been built into the operation of the Housing Corporation, and the money’s been, over the years, put into the budgets of the districts and looked at yearly.
The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
