Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I am seeking information on exactly what the NWT Housing Corporation is doing to ensure that this government is not left holding the bag on costs pertaining to the declining CMHC Social Housing Fund. As it stands, if the NWT Housing Corporation does not have a plan to address the impacts of the CMHC declining fund, we as the GNWT will be left with the responsibility of providing the budget to continue the Social Housing Program.
Currently CMHC provides millions of dollars for operations and maintenance of over 2,000 units across the Northwest Territories. As CMHC withdraws funding, it is anticipated by the federal government that the GNWT will develop a strategic plan to address the issue and make withdrawal of CMHC funds as seamless as possible.
As I see it, the only option we as legislators will be left with if the NWT Housing Corporation does not have a plan is to take the money that is currently going to supporting homeownership and divert it to fill the gaps in public housing by CMHC’s withdrawal.
I spoke in the House on numerous occasions about the lack of money going to homeowners as is. We cannot afford to use the money that is normally targeted for homeowners to support the public housing portfolio because the NWT Housing Corporation was unable to develop a plan to develop this serious issue.
The NWT Housing Corporation needs to examine its public housing portfolio and develop a plan that reduces the number of units in that portfolio. At the end of the day when the CMHC withdrawal is complete, the NWT Housing Corporation will only be getting enough money from CMHC to operate about half the units.
I don’t want people in the NWT to pay for the lack of planning by the NWT Housing Corporation with their houses. As I have said in the past, the NWT Housing Corporation must start paying attention to their homeowners in the small communities where there is no market and low employment. If this doesn’t happen, we’ll have a major expense on our hands as far as homeowners’ units across the NWT that are beyond economic repair and in need of replacement.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
If this doesn’t happen, we’ll have a major expense on our hands insofar as homeownership units across the NWT that are beyond economic repair and in need of replacement at a cost of $300,000 to $400,000 per unit. So you can see, the strategic plan to address the CMHC declining fund is critical.
I will have questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation on the matter.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
