Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address the issue of possible rent increase for tenants who are residing in market housing within the Northwest Territories.
It is my understanding that there has not been a rent increase since 2012. There are only a few market housing units available within each of the communities. The tenants of these units are in the workforce and trying to assist in building the economy of the Northwest Territories. Increasing their rent on only a select few will not alleviate the debt of this government is experiencing, but it will put the tenants in more hardship that they are already enduring.
Mr. Speaker, again we see this government targeting the resource people of the Northwest Territories. In our smaller communities, we have teachers, social workers, the RCMP, and local residents, who are trying to live a healthy and prosperous lifestyle. With the high cost of living within the smaller communities, the resource people, even the locals, cannot afford a rent increase any time soon. Everything from the cost of heating fuel, and especially cost of groceries, will have a negative impact on their decision and employment status within their respective communities. Smaller communities cannot afford to lose these resource people and try to recruit others with the rent increase is imposed on them.
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT and this government has to look at other options to increase revenue and not target the workforce who are trying to be productive members of their communities and the NWT as a whole. The smaller communities of the Northwest Territories need these resource people to be stationed within our communities merely for the fact that we do not have local professionals to fill these positions.
Mr. Speaker, with the housing crisis that we are experiencing, we do not have other options to house our resource people, so we cannot afford to increase their rent. Another fact is that some of these units and buildings are older units so increasing the rent on units that have passed its life span should not be even considered. Some of these buildings are 50 years old. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, if the Housing NWT is going to continue with this rent increase, then please consult with the tenants of market housing, give the tenants a grace period to adjust or find other options for accommodations. Consultation is key when you are negatively impacting our residents of the Northwest Territories, especially the smaller communities. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Mackenzie Delta. Members' statements. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
