Debates of October 20, 2006 (day 12)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’m just going to ask some of the same questions that I was asking the Minister of Education yesterday, but my questions are going to be directed to the Minister of Housing. The rent scale policy that we have in place, the old rent scale policy, I just want to ask the Minister, can he put something on the record to indicate that the Housing Corporation is going to possibly review the rent scale policy that touches a lot of people here in the NWT; a policy which creates a disincentive to seek employment for public housing clients, creates dissention towards the LHOs, the staff, government employees, and it develops a lack of respect for public housing stock by people who are in public housing? In other words, they just don’t care about wrecking the place because they don’t pay rent on it anyway. A lot of them don’t pay their fair share, anyway. So I’m just wondering if the Minister can let people know that, yes, his department is going to review the rent scale policy, one that is perhaps based on net income or based on annual income, taxable income, but not one that’s based on bingo winnings and card game winnings and based on hearsay, what people think the neighbours make? Can he do that for our public housing clients? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister responsible for housing, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 154-15(5): Rent Scale Policy For Public Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is looking at the rental rate review in which we are hoping to have something come forward in conjunction with what’s happening with the transfer of the social housing subsidy and also realizing that we do have to be open, transparent and fair to all our clients across the territory. So we are looking at it in conjunction of a universal review of the whole program throughout the territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 154-15(5): Rent Scale Policy For Public Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good. That’s good news, I think. At least they are reviewing this policy, which has been under a lot of scrutiny for a number of years. I just don’t think that it has worked and it’s definitely not working today, especially in the small communities where public housing accommodates a large majority of the communities. I just want to ask the Minister, when can we expect perhaps a draft of the changes or some recommendations, or how far are we along with seeing some substantive change? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 154-15(5): Rent Scale Policy For Public Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in conjunction with ECE and ourselves in regards to how we are laying out the whole idea of the household subsidy and also looking at the whole rental scale systems that we use, I think we are looking at arrangements that have been done in Nunavut, other places in the country, and also realizing that we are similar in nature to other jurisdictions. Seeing what’s happening in those other jurisdictions and ensuring that we have a system that is either consistent with other jurisdictions, but it’s fair to our tenants and the residents in the Northwest Territories. I think right now, from the issues that we’ve heard in this House, the concerns I’ve heard going into communities, we do have a system that we have to revisit. I think we are looking at that. I’m hoping to have something ready within the next number of weeks so I can take it to committee and possibly have a chance to review it then. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 154-15(5): Rent Scale Policy For Public Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to know that they are reviewing other jurisdictions, because I myself have done some reviews of other jurisdictions and they seem to have kind of tossed this whole rent policy out the door and went on something like their taxable income for people, which would alleviate their level of anxiety of how much their rent is going to be from one month to the next. At least they don’t have to file their monthly rental claims every month and people are more in tune to seek meaningful employment for a given year given the fact that they know what they’re rent is going to be in the next six months as opposed to what it’s going to be in the next month. So I just want to inform the Minister, I guess let the Minister know, that there is a lot of ideas and a lot of options out there and I think that it’s prudent that his department do a thorough review of the old policy and hopefully we’ll have something in place in the next six months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 154-15(5): Rent Scale Policy For Public Housing

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are looking at the whole area of who do we calculate rent from gross income versus another system that we use looking at the…I think it’s important that whatever we do we are going to have to…Any rent that we change we have to ensure that we follow the tenants act that is in place by notifying our clients that there is going to be a change, and also whatever we do here has to conform with how we are able to not only look at the policies that we have within the government, but also ensuring that we have a system that’s working in conjunction with other programs. One of them is the subsidy that presently is in place with regards to ECE, how that’s going to be worked into the program so that we don’t have people that are treated unfairly. But more importantly, that we look at all aspects of it from gross income to looking at a new formula of how people pay, what’s the percentages. I think at the end of the day it has to pan out that we have the ability to continue to operate the corporation but, more importantly, do it in a fair system that it meets the residents’ needs. Thank you.