Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will be for the Minister responsible for Housing. The corporation has this great program called HELP, and it helps people get into their homes and become homeowners, and I think it's a great program. However, recently I've been advised that there were four applicants for four units in the community of Fort Simpson. Two candidates were very successful and very happy to hear that; however, one of the other two were competing now for only one unit because they turned in one of the HELP units into the market house renting. Can the Minister explain why they changed one of the HELP units into a market rent unit? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, it would be inappropriate for me to discuss any specific application and information on our residents here, but if there is no program demand for a particular unit and it does remain vacant, the NWT Housing Corporation can re-profile a HELP unit into a market unit or vice versa. You can't turn a market unit into a HELP unit, but it would be inappropriate for me to discuss any specifics on any kind of application information. Like I said, if there is no program demand, then, we are able to re-profile those units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I wasn't asking about applicants. I am just saying that I know that there were four applicants, four HELP units. Again, what was the rationale to reduce that one, take one of those HELP units to a market unit, because there are two applicants looking for these types of units?
As I mentioned earlier, units are not profiled to another program unless it is confirmed that there is no demand for the unit under the original program, and that was the case.
If there are four applicants, there are four HELP units, I would assume there was a need. Unfortunately, I guess the corporation has a different matrix of deciding what needs are. It is my understanding that the Housing Corporation is bringing in two more units during the winter months. Are these units going to be HELP units or market rent units?
The Member is correct. We are bringing two market rental duplexes, which equates to four units. These should be ready for occupancy hopefully by March of 2019.
Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's great news, and I thank the Minister for providing that here today. With these new units coming into place, will that unit they changed from HELP to market be turned back to a HELP unit so residents can have that opportunity to get into this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The introduction of more HELP units into any community across the Northwest Territories is only considered if there is a demand for the program. Obviously NWT Housing Corporation would like to work with residents to get into home ownership or work with them to get into housing units, but the same is for market units, you know. We have nurses, we have teachers out there who need units to stay in, and we need to find balance. The introduction of any HELP units across the NWT would be considered if there was a demand for the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
