Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in followup to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. As I said in my statement, there have been a number of changes in the rent scale over the years. In the past five years, I have seen a number of positive changes, but one change that my constituents and others throughout the territory are having challenges with is based on your income tax, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister: what kind of feedback has the corporation received on the rent scale, particularly after the changes made in 2015? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Members already know that I did extend the housing survey. We have not gotten all the feedback from that survey yet. I am interested in seeing it. I have seen some issues come across my desk, though, regarding the rental scale and the deductions from the income tax.
One of the things I should note is that I know that it causes some seasonal employment difficulties, but, if you look at the areas, it ranges between $10,000 and $20,000 that a person can make extra, depending on their income, before they actually get increased rent, so that is significant. The other thing that is really notable is that, since we have been using the income tax to determine peoples' rent, we have noticed that quite a few hundred people actually have been reassessed their rent because of failure to report during seasonal occupations, so that is a concern that I wanted to bring forward, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to ask the Minister: how can the corporation support the spirit of the rent scale, fair rent for all public housing tenants, for tenants like I have described whose income taxes don't show the full picture of their employment income?
One of the conditions within the new determining of rent scales is that people who have difference in income can go in monthly and provide that to their local housing organization. If they do that, they will be reassessed based on their monthly income. However, again, it is important to note that the income tax has been showing that not everyone has been reporting their income, and so that is also a concern for us.
We often see residents falling behind on their taxes and not filing. How does the corporation and its rent scale respond to households that don't have current income tax or tax information on file?
We are really trying to work with our tenants to actually file their income tax, especially for lowerincome people. When people do not file their income tax, they are losing out on income, for example, the Child Tax Benefit, et cetera, and their tax return monies if they are lowerincome, so it is something we are really trying to advocate for tenants, that it is in their best interests to actually file for their income tax.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how much time would the department need once the survey is completed to actually make this change if that is what the people want? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated earlier the other day, the housing survey, once we get the results in, will be divided up. Some of them will be very easy fixes. Things like, for example, students being able to leave their communities without being penalized, people going for medical assistance and things, those are easy decisions.
Tougher ones, this one that might impact other departments, those ones will take a little bit longer. For example, if housing rent is contingent on them getting income support, then that is a crossdepartmental issue, and so we will have to work crossdepartmentally to find out answers to make things easier so that people can retain, maintain, or obtain housing.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I may have to wait until the Premier returns. My question is to the Premier on the Deline selfgovernment file. Thank you.
Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
