Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Rocky. She's coming to Tuktoyaktuk first.
---Laughter
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for NWT housing. When the current rent scale was developed years back, was there any consideration given or any thought given to rent scaling on a newer unit to an older unit? Some of the units, like I said, were built in 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in the communities that I represent. Is there any possibility for the department to look at a rent scale in regard to monthly rent? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Housing Corporation right now is looking at the rent scale and looking at the affordability for the older units. The newer units, we are looking at possible Indigenous partnerships going forward or stakeholders who may be interested in purchasing those units, but going forward, we are looking at the rent scale right now.
The NWT Housing Corporation currently is tracking the costs paid by the tenants in the units for the power, the heating fuel, and with other different units; are they tracking that?
According to my department, we do take care of the fuel and water, and we do track the consumption of those intakes annually.
Would the Minister be willing to direct her department to undertake an assessment to determine the cost of living for the people in the older units versus the newer units?
Yes, I will commit to looking at the differences between the variations in our rent for the clients that we serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a good day again. I am getting all that I want to hear. Housing is the biggest concern for me in my riding, across this whole territory. That is why it's one of the biggest things in our mandate, so I am really happy with the Minister, who is trying. She is making a good effort. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the assessment shows, and I know, that the older units will cost more, but for the Minister to address the rent scale accordingly when that assessment comes out, I will be pushing for that in the House, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thanks, Member, for the comment. We will be reviewing these rent scales as we go forward and the variations between the new and the older units. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
