Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, and I know it comes as no surprise to the Minister that I have issues about his issues and affordable housing initiative is the next big one on the block. It's rolling out now as we speak. Then, of course, there's also the Novel housing, which may roll out as well. These are big initiatives. We need good planning. As a former Member on this side of the House used to say, we need "blue chip information." We need good, recent information that's accurate and current.

Mr. Speaker, I had a chance previously to question the Minister about the rollout of the affordable housing initiative. I would like to ask the Minister here today, for the public record, what information is he using when he is assigning or allocating housing units to the various communities in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as all government departments usually use the stats Bureau of Statistics that we do collect every four years. It was collected two years ago, along with Stats Canada and the NWT Bureau of Statistics. That is the basis of the information that we have used in determining exactly where the core needs are. But also internally we have done core needs surveys in all the communities in the Northwest Territories, as we had a long debate in this House where a motion was passed to increase our core needs in some 20 communities throughout the Northwest Territories where our core needs exceed 30 percent in the majority of our communities in the Northwest Territories. So through the core needs surveys and the Statistics Bureau's information that's been provided, that's the basis of us making our decision.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I also mentioned in my Member's statement, when touring the communities we see boarded up houses, we see great numbers of pallets of building materials parked in people's front yards dated back three and four years. How can the Minister explain that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Mr. Speaker, I do admit we do have housing packages in our communities, we do have boarded up units, but the fundamental reason in the majority of the cases is we are having a challenge by way of land allocation, getting the appropriate leases to acquire land to build on. The other situation is that we are presently in the process of replacing the majority of our public housing units in regards to the boarded up housing units that we are presently…Through the Affordable Housing Strategy, 50 percent of those units will be replacing existing public housing units by way of making more energy-efficient units available to communities by way of multi-configured housing. I think it is a challenge we are facing, but, through the affordable housing money that we do have, we are able to deal with a lot of these issues. I have been working with the community leaders, the aboriginal groups, to try to resolve some of these land issues in their communities and also trying to get these houses built within the timelines that we've set. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Krutko says that they have developed land availability issues in these communities, but he has a lot of boarded up, dilapidated units that are scheduled for replacement. Doesn't it make sense that land will be made available when you demolish the units that are being replaced? Is that the plan, or what do you plan to do with those? In conjunction with that, is it true -- I've heard this rumour, I don't know if it's true -- is it true that the Housing Corporation is collecting some kind of a grant or contribution from the federal government towards utilities on these dilapidated units? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, like I said earlier, we are having some land approval issues, especially where areas of unsettled claims are. There are presently lease-only policies in place, and there's also the question about having the capacity to build. We do have a number of public housing units that are boarded up. Because of the cost it's going to take to renovate or replace these units, we are better off building new units, acquiring the land that they're on so that we are able to deliver the 530 units that we are going to build in those communities and take advantage of the lands that are presently available in those communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Well, to the supplementary I tried to sneak in on the last question, let me ask that question again. Currently, today, does the NWT Housing Corporation have boarded up, unoccupied units in the Northwest Territories for which they are collecting operations, maintenance and utilities subsidy from the federal government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 112-15(5): Public Housing Allocations And Replacement Strategies

Mr. Speaker, as we know, a majority of the houses were constructed under federal aboriginal housing or, basically, federal housing programs in the past. The criteria for those housing dollars are that we do receive a subsidy for housing by way of $30 million. The $30 million are for the 2,300 units that we have in place to pay for the O and M costs of those units. So the Member is correct; those units are presently being funded under the federal social housing subsidy that we presently received. But I think the Members also have to realize that the subsidy is now presently declining. In the next 30 years the $30 million will be zero. So we are having to find new ways of having to offset the cost of operating the new units, but also realizing we do have to replace those units. Thank you.