Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently I’ve spoken with constituents of mine who are paying over $1,000 a month per bedroom in their respective communities. Mr. Speaker, that’s unacceptable. I cannot imagine a family of four, how can they afford a housing unit like that or having to provide healthy foods for their family; another contentious issue on how the NWT Housing Corporation and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment calculate the tenant’s income when determining rent.

Even though the settlement allowance and northern living allowance may seem the same, Mr. Speaker...

Will the government review all policies when calculating the tenants’ income with the monthly rental assessment for the NWT Housing unit, and ensure fairness and consistency regardless of who is the employer or the situation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Housing. Given the constituents of mine are now paying over $1,000 for a bedroom in the respective communities, will the government finally conduct a thorough, comprehensive evaluation of how rent is calculated in our small, remote communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Northern allowance and settlement allowance is given to people in small, remote communities all over this great Territory because of the high cost of living. Even with those allowances, people in my riding are paying 80 percent more for basic necessities than people living in the major centres.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister in question period. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the government review all northern and settlement allowance implications of tenants living in small, remote communities with the high cost of living? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve taken portions out of the eulogy in honour of Jimmy Memogana written by Tom Smith and Roger Memogana.

Jimmy Memogana lived in Ulukhaktok, formerly known as Holman, NWT. In May 1914 his parents died in the year of his birth during the influenza pandemic which reached the Canadian Arctic and killed a large number of our northern aboriginal Canadians. Orphaned as an infant, he was fortunate to be adopted by Natkusiak, who had been a guide, together with Jimmy’s own biological father, Jimmy Memogana, on the first trips made in the Arctic by explorer Viljhalmur...

I would always visit Jimmy and his wife during my constituency tours. I had the privilege of knowing such a great traditional leader in the community of Ulukhaktok, and the community will sadly miss a leader such as Jimmy. Quyanainni.

Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker. I always start my Member’s statements by paying respect to the people who have passed away, to their families and friends, since the last sitting of this Assembly.

In the community of Tuktoyaktuk we lost Henry Nasogaluak. I’d like to give condolences to his brothers, David, William, Eli, Joe, and Bill; his sister, Sarah Anderson; and his common-law, Viasha; his young son, Henry; and his two sons, Darryl and Jason, who I grew up with back home. Henry will be sadly missed by Tuk Search and Rescue. Anything that was ever needed by the community in that sort, Henry was...

Can the Minister identify the huge costs of eviction of a family, which would involve emergency travel to another community like Yellowknife -- and emergency housing is already crowded -- shelter and perhaps temporary arrangements for children, compare the cost of providing positive supports for a family? So that, perhaps, the result is an issue for the Housing Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would just like to remind the Minister that the Housing Association is run out of Inuvik. They fly people into the community once or twice a month to take all the proper forms they have to fill out to get their rental assessment. But, Mr. Speaker, the biggest problem is not having somebody there to contact the people and do these assessments with the client. Why is the NWT Housing Association having to evict people in the middle of winter and not able to work with the family? This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.