Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to update Members and the general public on recent housing construction and related vacancies in the NWT.

Over the summer, I, along with fellow Members of Cabinet and this Assembly, had the opportunity to tour communities in our Territory. One of the more common questions we were asked pertained to vacant housing units. It is understandable that concerns have been raised about vacancies in our housing portfolio, especially given the level of core housing need in many of these communities. Therefore, I would like to provide some context for why there are...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2009 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is our intent to have this...(inaudible)...legislation passed through the 16th Assembly. We do take all concerns very seriously and this is one that we are starting to hear a bit more about in recent days. As a 16th Assembly, if this is a priority of the 16th Assembly, then that will enable us working with committee to move the legislation along a lot quicker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously this is a concern that we have heard on a couple of occasions now. Although MACA, through the consumer affairs department, hasn’t really received any complaints, we understand that it is still a concern out there. There is the cost of credit disclosure that is going to be introduced and that would compel the lending companies to fully disclose the interest rates that they are charging on loans. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of doing that right now. We are hoping to have an appeals committee in place by April 1, 2011. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once the application process is over today I will be able to provide some numbers to the Members, if they wish to see the number of applicants in their communities.

The NWT Housing Corporation has a few programs that are targeted at seniors, the Seniors Preventative Maintenance Program being one of them. You used to be able to qualify for up to $875, but it’s been raised to $2,000 and that will enable them to get some preventative maintenance work done on their unit. As well, through the CARE program, the old seniors program, they would qualify for possibly up to $20,000, but through the CARE program they can qualify up to $90,000 and seniors are given a priority. But as I heard in one of my visits to the Member’s community, there was some discussion...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seniors continue to be one of the highest core needs across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

My understanding is there are a couple of outfits here in Yellowknife that provide this service. I would have to confirm. There may be a couple more out in the larger communities, but I will confirm that information and I will share it with the Member. Thank you.

I haven’t had an opportunity to look at the legislation that’s being drafted. However, I will commit to the Member that, as committee, they will have opportunity to have some say into what goes into this particular piece of legislation.