Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Money for Betty House was first identified in 2009-2010 and was gone through revised estimates. We had some opportunity to have some discussions and that. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Members feel like they weren’t properly consulted on this particular issue, and if that’s the case then I take full responsibility for that and ensure that any projects coming through NWT Housing Corporation in the future will be consulted with the Members like we normally do. This is just one that through different circumstances – change of Assemblies, Ministers...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Housing Corporation obviously recognizes that we have to cut our costs and is listening to some of the comments made by the Member in the past and some of the advice that he’s given on going to more multi-unit type facilities so that we can cut back on the heating. We’re upgrading and replacing a lot of older units with more energy-efficient ones. We’re trying to be more energy conscious in our renovations. Energy-efficient fixtures, there are LHOs that are replacing a lot of their incandescent lights. There’s LHOs that are replacing a lot of their toilets with low-flow...

We have had this in place now for approximately four months. We feel that is adequate enough time for people to come in and enter into repayment plans and try to honour them. No, we won’t be looking at extending the deadline, because we feel the people have had enough time. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Minister Miltenberger explained it very well. CMHC declining funding is probably one of the biggest drivers. Another one is the fact that we don’t collect enough revenue from our tenants. If we collected the amount of revenue that was due to Housing, then we wouldn’t have to keep coming back for the $1.7 million. Housing normally has been very good at funding it from within, but with the declining funding, again, it’s getting more and more difficult to try and find this money. We’ve actually had to bail out a particular LHO because they were unable to pay their utility...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now we’ve had nobody that is potentially affected by the evictions come forward and enter into repayment plans. We’ve got a month and a half left and we’re hoping that things improve in the meantime. Thank you.

The discussion paper that we put out, we will consult with all affected stakeholders before we release the final drafting in June. The final draft is actually not the implementation, as the Member had noted. It would be a draft taken into consideration, all the comments that we have heard during the consultation process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anything can be resolved, and as I said, we have a discussion paper out. Interested stakeholders will have an opportunity to look at the discussion paper, give us their input, and then we would, by the middle of June, put out a final product, if it’s a good one, and if not, then we’ll continue to do the work until we have one that’s perfect. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize our partners in Betty House that we have in the gallery with us today: Ms. Lyda Fuller from the YWCA, Ms. Dayle Hernblad from the Homelessness Coalition with the City of Yellowknife, and I think we also have sitting up there Ms. Kate Wilson, who has done a lot of work with YWCA.

Last but not least I’d like to recognize a gentleman that I’ve had an opportunity to work with for a number of years in my capacity as Minister of MACA: the mayor of Yellowknife, the outgoing mayor of Yellowknife, Mr. Gord Van Tighem. It’s been a pleasure working with you...

I’m unaware of any contribution program that’s already in place. It’s something that obviously if the groups come forward, we would be looking at it on a case-by-case basis. It’s not like we would be budgeting money every year to make contributions towards infrastructure. We would have to wait for the groups to approach us and then we would see if it fits within our budget before we decide on making any kind of contribution.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the past number of years the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition has been working on Betty House, which is an initiative to build and operate a transitional house for women and children that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Betty House will help these women and children to stabilize, to move forward and to make positive life choices.

Today I am pleased to inform Members of the Assembly that the NWT Housing Corporation, on behalf of the GNWT, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Yellowknife and the YWCA as representatives of the...