Debates of February 9, 2005 (day 32)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question this afternoon is directed to the Honourable Michael McLeod in his capacity as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. It relates to the whole issue of being able to provide affordable housing, Mr. Speaker. One of the biggest barriers, the first barrier that communities and developers experience is the lack of access to affordable land for building and development. I wanted to see if the Minister could advise the Assembly what ways he has looked at to make land more affordable and available to community governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we had a number of discussions over the last while with the City of Yellowknife. We have also had a number of discussions as recently as this week with the Yellowknives Dene on the issue of land. Land issues are a big issue in the city of Yellowknife. Affordability is one issue and availability is another. There are, right now, discussions with the aboriginal governments on a process of making land available. We have signed an agreement with the Yellowknives Dene to be able to identify some lands that we could identify in terms of making available in the future. There have also been meetings set up with the Yellowknives and the city to talk about issues that are preventing some of the land acquisition. I have not seen a document yet, but we understand the city is coming forward with a land acquisition request that we will be reviewing very shortly as soon as we see it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the information there. I guess I would like to ask the Minister for some more clarification with regard to the status or the position of the Yellowknives Dene or other aboriginal organizations in terms of how land is disposed of or delegated. What is the role there? How does this process work? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now there are two ways to make land available. First of all, it would be through an application through the city, which would then come to us. Under our Interim Measures Agreement with the Yellowknives or the Akaitcho, we would then go through a consultation period of 60 days and have feedback from the aboriginal governments in the area. There is also a mechanism that allows the aboriginal governments to come forward with a request that they would bring to the negotiating table for the requested land through their land claims discussions. Those are the two mechanisms that we have in front of us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is useful information. I guess I would like to return to my original theme though, which is how are we making land available that is affordable to build on? We are discussing here a bit of the process of making land available at least around Yellowknife, but I would like to look at what steps we are doing on a territorial basis, Mr. Speaker, to make land for housing more affordable and available in our communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the biggest cost for land and the biggest cost driver for land in Yellowknife is the availability of services, the construction of roads, sewer services, power and water. Right now our focus has been on trying to look at the issue of availability of lands at the city level. We are reviewing the plans that have been put forward by the City of Yellowknife. We are also looking and talking with the Yellowknives Dene in terms of what they plan and what they have plans for their future land requirements. There are also departments that are coming forward with development plans that require land. We are trying to put all of those together. We are not doing anything in terms of looking for land subsidies at this point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is to that last point that I would really like to focus on. This is where I am continuously crowing for our government, Mr. Speaker, to be more aggressive and innovative. Could the Minister tell us, the recent announcements about federal infrastructure money coming into the North, is this potentially going to be something that can help us deliver more affordable land in our communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 347-15(3): Land For Affordable Housing Alternatives

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of different initiatives that we have been working on in the last while as a government. We have signed an agreement under the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Funding Program that has $15 million committed to the Northwest Territories which can be used towards development of a number of different infrastructures in the communities. We are also looking at a gas tax agreement that we are hoping to sign in the near future, something this spring. That is also geared towards infrastructure. As part of those infrastructure criteria, lands and bridges, water and waste water and all of those are allowable. Those things certainly can be considered. There is also the Northern Strategy funding that the Premier is heading up that has yet to be determined. There are mechanisms that I believe that we can look at the land issue and ways to lower the cost, especially in Yellowknife.

Of course, we have made a commitment to discuss these issues with the NWT Association of Communities. So we will be starting as early as this weekend, having some discussions on Friday as to where we want to see this money committed. There are a number of different areas that we would like to see. There are a number of areas that some of the smaller communities want to focus on. There are areas that larger centres want to focus on. So there is a lot of work yet to be done and a lot of decisions yet to be made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.