Date
November
28
2007
Members Present
ITEM 1: PRAYER
Assembly Members
Debates of November 28, 2007 (day 4)
Topics
Statements
Member’s Statement On Public Housing Rental Assessment
Speaker:
MR. MCLEOD
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the past couple of months, we have heard a lot of talk about being an effective and efficient government. I think to prove that we are not only going to talk the talk, we are going to walk the walk, would be to take the transfer of rental assessment responsibility back from ECE…
---Applause
…and transfer it back to the NWT Housing Corporation who, along with their authorities, have proven that they can look after this function in the past.
Mr. Speaker, we still hear from tenants that are waiting three weeks for their rental assessments to be done. It is not fair to the tenants. There are more termination notices, Mr. Speaker, being given out. The housing authorities have to follow policy and give out these termination notices. For the most part, it is not the fault of a lot of tenants who continue to keep up with their rent. They are just not being sent to them on time. Fourteen new positions were hired. I don’t know where these positions went. I am assuming they are in headquarters. Fourteen people giving one person in the region instructions as to what to do.
Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that was brought up a few times in the 15th Assembly and will continue to be brought up in the 16th until we, as MLAs, quit hearing from our constituents that this is not a problem. We will continue to raise the issue. I think we have an opportunity now with a new Assembly and a new Cabinet. We should have a new attitude. We should look at programs that are just not working for these people that we serve. We should seriously look at transferring the responsibility back to the NWT Housing Corporation and it’s been proved that it has worked before. I am sure it will work again, Mr. Speaker. I would like to have this Assembly, as I said before, let’s walk the walk and let’s do what is right for the tenants that live in a lot of these housing authorities and it is affecting the housing authorities’ ability to deliver the programs because they are constantly waiting for their funding which can’t be done until the assessment. It is a long story and I could go on for another two and a half minutes. I think we need to have a new attitude, Mr. Speaker. Let’s give this responsibility back to the people that have proven before that they are able to do the job. Thank you.
---Applause