Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement on the idea of transitional housing for our small and remote communities. I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, firstly, to explain the purpose of the one-year residency requirement to access housing programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The lack of housing is a huge problem in many of our communities. On the other hand, there are also vacant units in some of our communities. I believe that there are also problems with access to housing that is available. That is, there is housing and there are people who need housing, but they’re not eligible for it. For example, I am told that there’s a one-year residency requirement to access some community housing programs. In general, that is fine, but what happens when someone returns to a small community and has nowhere to live? It seems that the NWT Housing...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 64-17(3), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2013-2014.

Mr. Speaker, I think a guideline like that certainly works well in a larger community where people are on a waiting list. It probably has happened in the past where people did get bumped by somebody new moving in. That really makes sense there, but for people returning to and coming to live in the smaller communities where housing is scarce or there is none, that same one-year residency requirement just doesn’t work, because there are no homes there. We are expecting them to perhaps couch surf for a year until they become eligible to come back.

Will the Housing Corporation look at this idea on...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure and pride to recognize and welcome my daughters to the gallery. Ms. Diedra Villeneuve and Ms. Candace Lafferty-Villeneuve. I’m glad to have you here to see your hardworking MLA dad.

As well, my constituency assistant, also hard working, Ms. Pearl Norwegian.

Mr. Speaker, why is replacing the Charles Tetcho School in Trout Lake not a higher priority for this government? I had indicated the original school had burnt down. This is a temporary placement in the community hall. Why is replacing the school in Trout Lake not a priority? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We are dealing with the capital budgets for various departments in this session. I have looked high and low and I am sad to say there is not a single dollar set aside to start work on a new school in Trout Lake.

The school in Trout Lake is located in one room at the community hall and it is too small. When the original log school was damaged by fire, the government said temporary placement in this community hall. For years I have urged the government to begin planning for a new school. I have to say, I now understand how a teacher must feel when the students...

I’m pleased that the Minister is taking these concerns very seriously, and I certainly look forward to travelling with him in my riding in the future. With that, I have no further questions.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 64-17(3), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2013-2014. Thank you.