Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about seniors housing in the Northwest Territories and the new rent scale that came about as the shelter review policy was undertaken.
During the last couple of weeks my colleague from Hay River North and I had the opportunity to meet with some of the seniors in Hay River to discuss this very topic. I would first like to articulate a few of the benefits seniors have living in the Northwest Territories.
We have from our government the fossil fuel subsidy, the reduction to the cost of drivers’ licences, supplementary health care benefits – including pharmacy formulary which is second to none. Now the shelter review policy has indicated that perhaps seniors living in public housing should be paying some rent.
This new rent scale will lower rent for families and will raise rent and actually begin charging rent to others, seniors included. The net benefit to this government is only $350,000, but I think there is a principle here. When we heard from the NWT seniors in their presentation, the representatives seemed to equate being elderly with being without means, with not having sufficient funds to support themselves. We know the cost of living is high in the North, but I don’t think that’s a direct correlation that we can draw.
I certainly know in the case of Hay River and in other places, as well, seniors living in public housing who are paying zero rent at this time who are over 60 are neither income nor means tested. Now, is that a policy that needs to be reviewed? In my opinion, yes, it is.
I do not believe that this policy is fair. I do not believe that it is sustainable. As Mr. Miltenberger said in his budget address today, the demographic of people living to be over 60 is growing everywhere in Canada, and as he said, in the next 15 years the number of people over 60 in the Northwest Territories will double. So we need to be very forward thinking as a government and say, is this policy on the books currently a sustainable policy. I do not believe it is.
We cannot afford to do it for everybody. I think that we need to look as a government also on the flipside of that of doing more to help sustain people who are living independently in their own homes right now. Whether that’s an annual maintenance program or emergency repairs or enhanced home care, I believe we need to look at the benefit and the cost saving of people living independently in their own homes and put an end to this very unfair policy.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
