Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure if the Member is referring to those that have arrears that have been evicted from their units having to live in the conditions that he’s describing. If that’s the case, then obviously they’d have to work something out with the local housing authority to try and clear off their arrears and then they’ll be able to get accommodation again.

I mean, I have to point out that during the life of the 16th Assembly with the investment made from the federal government and the only jurisdiction in the country to match the federal investment, we’ve been able to do over 600 houses...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Herbert Blake, chief of the Nigtat Gwich’in in Inuvik. I’d also like to welcome Mr. Steve Baryluk, a resident of Inuvik. Welcome to the Assembly. Thank you.

In the Member’s Member’s statement he talked about how people were once very independent and now they’ve become dependent on the government. There are all kinds of opportunities for people out there to be independent. They’re given every chance and every opportunity by the Government of the Northwest Territories and there is a very good support system. The Member said that I keep saying the same thing, and obviously, that’s what it comes down to. It comes down to the same thing.

To stay in a rental housing unit, you have to pay your rent. If you don’t pay your rent, you’re evicted until you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We try to work very hard with residents to keep them in their units. It’s not our intent, as I’ve said on a number of occasions, to put people out. They have to understand that they have a responsibility. A lot of people have lived up to that responsibility.

The Member was making a reference to the $2 a month. I think as a Housing Corporation we’re doing a lot better than that right now when you see 798 seniors paying zero and housing still paying to maintain the unit. Obviously, we’re faced with a challenge in trying to keep the CMHC funding flowing. It’s something we...

As part of the overall Shelter Policy review, homelessness is one of the aspects of the review that we are looking at along with the rent scale review. We are hoping to have the work done and it would be then put into a transition document for the 17th Legislative Assembly and they can decide at that time what the priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We can provide a communication as to where we’re at in this whole application process and the support we’ve provided. At the end of the day I think the municipal government plays a large, if not the largest, role in this situation that is happening out at Northland because those folks out there are municipal taxpayers. So I think the municipal government has to take a lead role or a larger role in the situation out at Northland. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The file in Ottawa is sitting on the Infrastructure Minister’s desk, who I think is Minister Lebel. He’s got the infrastructure file. At the same time, we supported the city’s application to try and access some of the green funding for the residents out at Northland Trailer Park. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories has, through the Shelter Policy review, been examining its overall approach to delivering housing programs, services, and supports to NWT residents. The Department of Executive and the NWT Housing Corporation have worked collaboratively in carrying out this review, which will result in a broad strategic framework designed to refocus the GNWT’s approach to housing delivery. I rise today to update Members and the general public on the progress of this review.

A critical component of the Shelter Policy Review has been extensive...

I can assure the Member that is something that we can have a look at. Whether we’re able to do it financially is another question, and decisions such as that would have to be something that the 17th Legislative Assembly would have to take into consideration. We could also make our thoughts and recommendations to them in the form of transition documents. I can assure the Member that we will have a look at it.

The communities themselves are getting their capital dollars and they’ve put a lot of money into youth infrastructure. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to attend the opening of the youth centre in Paulatuk, and community centres, and in Fort Resolution they’re doing a youth centre there and a lot of it is a decision that’s made by the community. What our role is, is we continue to support them through the Youth Centre Initiative, which the money in the Youth Centre Initiative has almost doubled and the uptake in it has gone from 17 to about 34 community youth centres taken. So that’s...