Debates of March 30, 2004 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation about the issue of the housing units that will be going into Deninu Kue and these other communities in the NWT. On the question of affordable housing versus maximum benefits in relation to this whole tendering process and the BIP and what not, my question really has nothing to do with the business incentive policy, although the community does welcome the opportunity to have a little bit of employment in that market and in getting site preparation and that stuff done for these units. I really want to caution the Member when talking about affordable housing, because usually when you talk about affordable housing you have to really look at quality housing.

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I would rather see some quality units going into the communities, and the people that build these units are using nails instead of staples, which happens in a lot of southern units that come up north, and are put together with a lot of staples in the units as opposed to nails.

Hear, Hear.

I am wondering what measures and contract obligations that these southern firms would have to ensure that these units will last at least two to five years, and that this portable housing will not have to be replaced by some more affordable housing in the short term. Mr. Speaker, thank you.

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Two questions, Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 117-15(6): Quality Housing Versus Affordable Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we demand the same quality, the same warranty conditions whether the contract is allocated to a southern supplier or a northern supplier. I am sure there are many owners or trailer owners or mobile home owners in different trailer courts in the NWT that would be very interested to hear that the houses that they are living in and are perfectly happy with are substandard, as the Member has indicated. These units meet a certain standard, they have to have CSE approval and we expect at least a 20 plus year life out of them. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 117-15(6): Quality Housing Versus Affordable Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to realize what the Member was eluding to that many people in the NWT live in trailer units, Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of that. But a lot of these trailer units are older units and they are put together by very big nails. The newer units are usually a little more cost effective and, therefore, they are put together with three-quarter inch staples. I wanted to ask the Minister about the affordable housing crisis that he is addressing, and the communities that these affordable housing units will be accommodating to probably professionals that have full-time employment in these communities, which in my case are very few. What kind of affordable housing will these people have an opportunity to purchase, probably at a high rate with no real market in place? How would the government assure that these people are getting value for their dollar? Thank you.

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Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 117-15(6): Quality Housing Versus Affordable Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has indicated, there are some units going into communities. There is a high need especially in the community of Fort Resolution. We are planning to put in five this year, and providing everything goes this year, from the report and Cabinet’s direction, we would look to next year for more units. The community has come forward, the DEA Chair, and also the LHO president has come to Yellowknife to meet specifically on this issue. They are indicating to me that what we are allocating is not near enough for what they require. They have situations in Fort Resolution where they have three or four teachers and nurses staying together who are total strangers, and have to live in the same accommodations. We are also hearing that in some cases we’ve had reports from some members there who are moving eight to nine times in one year because of inadequate housing. So it is a real challenge to meet all of the demand that is out there. I also want to point out -- I think there was a reference that all this money would be going south -- 17 tenders were picked up. Also, as part of this contract, only a portion of this is for trailers, the rest is for setup. About 50 percent is for setup and we are looking at accommodating, as part of this project, stairs, skirting, the mechanical hook up, the electrical hook up, the land costs, land development, driveways, gravel pads, and all of those things have to be provided locally. So there is more than just going out and dialling a number in the south, and sending a…(inaudible)…there, as somebody referenced. They are trying to make an attempt to bring these units in as cheaply as possible and, at the same time, we are trying to balance with some of the investments staying in the North. Thank you.

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Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 117-15(6): Quality Housing Versus Affordable Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to concur with the honourable Member to the point that there is definite need in the community. Just to get back to the accommodations set up in the community, I know that there are a lot of professionals that are all living in one unit. That is probably due to the fact that they are probably in a social housing unit, and with the rent scale they have in place one person in each unit can never afford the amount of rent. I wanted to ask the honourable Minister that when these professionals start moving out of the social housing units that were for social clients in these communities, will the department take a review of the rent scale system that currently discourages any incentive for people to seek full-time employment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will have to rule that question out of order, it is a whole new question. It has nothing to do with your original question. The question is out of order.

---Ruled Out of Order