Debates of May 17, 2007 (day 9)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Just with what I mentioned earlier in my Member’s statement, I just want to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation if his point of view is the same as mine, that elders know what is best for elders, especially in our smaller communities. The elders in the seniors' society in Fort Resolution went to great lengths to acquire property, get the Housing Corporation on side to move forward on an initiative of building a seniors' independent living six-plex and now it has been put on the back burner by the Housing Corporation. I just want to ask the Minister of Housing why all of a sudden there are some barriers put up by the regional office for the seniors to go out and seek more support letters from people they already had support letters from. Why is that happening, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 105-15(6): Housing Complex For Deninu Kue Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This project has not been put on the back burner. Mr. Speaker, it changed from some singles housing and some housing for families to a six-plex for seniors at the request of the seniors.

What that does, Mr. Speaker, because of the limited amount of housing, is it does limit the options for single people and for families and has housing dedicated for seniors. We asked the seniors whether in the event there weren’t enough seniors to occupy all of the new six-plex units at some point in the future, would they make the units then available to other singles or couples based on a waiting list. Mr. Speaker, the Deninu Kue First Nation, the seniors' society and the community council all replied that this was not a problem for them. We are only waiting now for the Fort Resolution Metis Council to give us the green light. I understand they are meeting on May 24th and the project is a go. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 105-15(6): Housing Complex For Deninu Kue Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to get back, I don’t know if when the seniors went out, they researched properties that might have been available. They went to the landowner, they got them to get in contact with the Housing Corporation to build a six-plex. To me, it’s always been a six-plex right from day one. This is part of the affordable housing initiative. The seniors did assure the Housing Corporation that we have a list of 97 seniors whose average age is 68 years old in the community. Many of them are waiting to get into the seniors’ six-plex, so you can rest assured that there is always a long waiting list for that. Is the Minister’s department going to start the…I am sure they have a letter from the Metis already confirming their support for the six-plex, so why do we have to again start circulating support letters back to the department when they already have the support letters in place to originally get this thing off the ground? Why do they need another letter from all these organizations, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 105-15(6): Housing Complex For Deninu Kue Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have pretty well everything in place. The only piece of information we don’t have is agreement from the Metis council that in the event we don’t have seniors to occupy the units, that they would agree to have the units occupied either by a single person or by a couple based on a waiting list, Mr. Speaker. So if we get that one piece of information so there is no misunderstanding down the road, and this project is ready to go. As I said, the meeting is being held next week and I don’t see any reason for any delay beyond that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 105-15(6): Housing Complex For Deninu Kue Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to know they only need this one piece of information left, but I have to remind the Minister, when you are trying to get all these community organizations to come together to support something that seems like a good initiative for the community, it’s always really difficult when you are talking about dollar allocations within the community. To go out there and start negotiating another round of negotiations and agreements with all these local organizations by the seniors' society, that just really puts a lot of strain on what they have already done. Can his department provide some support to the seniors' society in expediting the whole process and getting in touch with the Metis and saying we are just waiting for you guys, are you onside, is it a go? Can they do that for the seniors? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 105-15(6): Housing Complex For Deninu Kue Seniors

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There have been discussions. The Metis have told us they are meeting on the 24th, which is a week from today. They will give us that assurance.

Mr. Speaker, what we are trying to avoid is a situation we see in some communities where we have a seniors complex, it’s only for seniors, and then we have empty units and then people looking for housing and they can’t move into it because it’s a seniors complex. We want to say let’s be sensible about this, let’s build it as a seniors unit, but if there are other people, make sure they can move in there too with priority given to the seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I will assure the Member that we expect to have a decision on the 24th. If there seems to be a problem with that, we will intervene and urge the Metis council to move this quickly. That’s the only piece of information we need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.