Robert C. McLeod

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.

Mr. Speaker, if we have no eligible client for that one particular unit, as I have said before, we will try another targeted intake to see if there may be eligible applicants that we may have missed. If that fails, then we would speak to communities to see if they have... We have had community groups approaching us about the availability of some of our youths. We have said to hold off until after our application process. All that being failed, we have to... We will consider turning them over to a public housing unit, because that is one of our biggest needs in a lot of our communities. Thank...

Mr. Speaker, arrears is a huge concern. That is why I have been trying to get the message out across the NWT that arrears need to be taken care of because it affects your ability to access some of the programs. However, that being said, one of the programs, the HELP program, does allow a minimum amount of arrears. I believe it is up to $5,000, and the flexibility, I have also asked the corporation, as I have said in my Minister’s statement, to look at the core need income threshold and maybe be a little more flexible in that, because we have a lot of people out there that would be good...

Thank you. The Seniors Preventative Maintenance Program enables seniors to access up to $2,000 for some work. There are also two or three programs, where we’re a delivery agent for CMHC, that specifically targets seniors and one of them is Home Adaption for Seniors and Dependents. So there are some programs out there.

I’ve heard the Member’s concerns, I’ve heard the concerns from one of his communities that I visited. So it is one that I will take back to the corporation and see how we can best address the needs of seniors. Thank you.

Once a unit is determined to be unsafe or unhealthy to live in, or beyond economic repair, then the plan is normally to demolish the units and replace them. Thank you.