Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today in my Member’s statement I made reference to an NWT Housing Corporation Housing Choices funding program eligibility criteria. It seems that there are two sets of rules pertaining to this CARE funding program which deserve some scrutiny. Apparently if you live in a non-market community and you owe less than $5,000 in land lease or property tax arrears, you still qualify for up to $90,000 in forgivable loans. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Can the Minister explain to the House how is it you can owe money for land lease and property tax arrears and still qualify for a forgivable loan in this day and age? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister of Housing, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly and the previous Assembly recognize the challenges the small communities are facing in trying to access some of the programs that we offer. There was a time when if you had any land tax owing at all, you weren’t able to qualify for any of the programs in the small communities. We heard from Members; we addressed that; and we allowed them to carry some taxation.
In the taxation area, part of the problem that we face is because it’s a tax-based community they’re able to do tax sales. So if somebody were to lose their home based on a tax sale, then the Housing Corporation would be out that investment that we made into the property. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Minister’s reply. My next question might need a little bit more clarification from what he’s just indicated here. Clearly, this CARE policy segregates both market and non-market residents with two separate rules and criteria.
Can the Minister inform the House, what is the rationale for having those two sets of rules? Thank you.
I just said that we recognize some of the challenges that are faced in the small communities. We try to tailor many of our programs to get as many people into the programs as we can. In some of the larger jurisdictions, especially the market communities, they have easier access to bank financing and resale value of their units, a type of luxury that we don’t have in many of the smaller communities. So, that is the rationale for this and we believe it’s one that’s working fairly well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the Minister clarifying that. It is a bit confusing, especially when you have a whole suite of programs out there.
Nothing is mentioned on the website for the NWT Housing Corporation about having a repayment plan for arrears in place prior to further funding. Therefore, can the Minister elaborate, does the NWT Housing Corporation have any terms or conditions or prerequisites that must be in place prior to seeking any forgivable loans or other funding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member is referring to the smaller communities, repayment plan for the smaller communities, or all communities in general. Maybe if I could just ask the Member to clarify which part of the market he’s speaking to, then I will respond accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that’s one way of doing it. My question was for all communities. Again, when we’re dealing with this, I want to make sure that the department had a plan in place for looking at repayment for any member of our Housing Corporation before we’re going to be providing further funding. Again, if I may add, Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence, is this constitutionally sound the way we have it set up? Thank you.
As far as the repayment plan goes, that’s something that the land owners would have to work out, I think, in some of the smaller communities with Finance, because I believe it’s through Finance that it’s administered. In some of the larger communities it’s through the community government.
As far as the second part goes, I’m not going to attempt to answer that because I’m really not sure. We have a whole suite of programs that have different rules for market and non-market communities, zone A, B and C. We have different criteria for a lot of different areas across the NWT. We try to tailor it so folks in those communities are able to take advantage of a lot of the programs that we run. I’m just going to keep going, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
