Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue that I’d like to speak on today in regard to the area of housing is the area of maximum rent rates in every community in the Northwest Territories. What we’re finding is that in most communities, their rates are different from one community to the other.
I’ll illustrate a situation I have in my riding in regard to the community of Tsiigehtchic. To rent a five-bedroom unit in Tsiigehtchic would cost you $3,700, which is the maximum rate. Yet, half an hour down the road in Fort McPherson, the same five-bedroom unit is rented for $2,500, a difference of $1,300 between two communities, yet they’re only half an hour apart.
Mr. Speaker, there are other situations through the Northwest Territories such as Paulatuk where you pay the maximum rate of $4,600 compared to, say, a rate in Hay River or even Yellowknife, which is around $1,700 or $1,800 for a five-bedroom unit.
Mr. Speaker, I think it’s time that we looked at this situation similar to how we’re dealing with the Northwest Territories power rates, where the power rates were previously based on a community-by-community rate, which was called a community postal rate, but again, through the discussions with Members in this House and the residents of the Northwest Territories, we decided to take that issue head on and consider community rates by way of diesel communities, hydro communities and, again, that is going to benefit everyone.
I think it’s important, Mr. Speaker, that we do the similar arrangement when it comes to rental of housing units in the Northwest Territories, and if that means we have to do it gradually, I suggest that we look at regional-based rates for housing units in the specific regions, either the Beaufort-Delta region, the Sahtu, North Slave, South Slave, and eventually work our way to a territorial rate throughout the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, we have some 2,200 units in the Northwest Territories that are operated by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the local housing authorities, but again, we receive a subsidy for those units from CMHC to the tune of $28 million to operate those 2,200 units. So again, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important enough that we seriously take a look at this issue. I will be asking the Minister questions on this later. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
