Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a few comments, more general, on the Minister’s opening remarks for the review. I guess the one area where I have a little bit of concern is the community infrastructure funding. I know that the community infrastructure funding is scheduled for a review after five years. I don’t understand why there was no clause negotiated in there that it would be at least indexed to the cost of living and so on. From my understanding, it’s remained at $28 million, at least that particular budget, for the full five years prior to review. So I don’t know if we’re going to have a...

I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s a policy that prevents the Minister from establishing maximum rents and replacing economic rents with maximum rents in non-market communities.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I spoke of the public housing rent scale in non-market communities acting as a bit of a deterrent for people working. I have some questions for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. Does the Minister agree that public housing rent scale is different between market communities and non-market communities?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the public housing rent scale. Mr. Speaker, the current rent scale used by the NWT Housing Corporation in the administration of public housing does not work for the tenants in smaller communities. Mr. Speaker, as I’ve said many times in the past, communities in Tu Nedhe have employment rates well below 40 percent and nothing should serve as a deterrent to work. As it stands now, the rent scale is a major deterrent for people who wish to work.

Mr. Speaker, if a person in public housing gets a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good news. Will the Minister direct his staff to look at this very specific point, and that very specific point is that non-market communities use economic rents? Economic rents are established to recover costs. People never pay that, because there’s no work. Will the Minister direct his staff to look at the feasibility of establishing a maximum rent for all non-market communities?

Just to add a little to that, I was looking for more of an amount. Not a specific amount, but does the Minister agree that the average public housing paid, average rent paid for public housing in market communities is higher than the non-market communities?

Without this policy, people in public housing cannot afford to work. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Housing today. Thank you.

Can the department or the Minister tell me if this reduction will impact people in the community trying to get repairs or if for the most part people applying for repairs are being approved? Provided that they’re eligible, of course. Will there be instances where people will be told that we can’t do your house because we don’t have enough money? That’s my question.

I’m seeing a drop there. For the $8.5 million, does it look like this year for 2010-2011 ending March 31, 2011, if the entire $8.5 million will be spent on home repairs?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to continue with Tabled Document 133-16(5), NWT Main Estimates, 2011-12, and deal with the Housing Corporation.