Tom Beaulieu

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I spoke of some failed programs that have cost the Housing Corporation or this government millions of dollars, with no actual reduction as far as core needs go because the units are not being used. I have questions for the Minister of Housing. Would the Minister consider transferring homeownership responsibilities to the communities, along with the appropriate resources?

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

I’d like to start by quoting some people across the NWT:

“Houses are built and sit empty, the system doesn’t work...”

“Housing is beyond frustration for small communities.”

“You are losing money just letting houses sit empty.”

“There seems to be a serious flaw in the approach, if it means housing, communities develop their own policies...that may be the best thing to do.”

“Maybe direct funding for First Nations from the federal government is the way to go.”

Those were quotes from the Dene National Assembly this summer in Fort Good Hope. As...

Mr. Chairman, on the retrofit of public housing units, can the Minister tell me if there’s been any discussion with the corporation on the disposition of materials that are coming off the units that are being retrofitted, possibly to give the materials to individual homeowners that may otherwise not be eligible for regular repair programs? In a sense, for clarity, I’m saying that if they take replacing the siding with a better grade of siding on the retrofit of these public housing units, can that siding be given to an individual or individuals in the communities that are otherwise not...

Staying on the same line of questioning, Mr. Chairman, I’m wondering if there are construction regulations, or standards, perhaps is a better term, that is preventing this unit from being delivered at an economical rate per square foot.

One of the needs at the community level has been a need to provide small, detached units for a certain type of homeownership clientele in the communities, and the Housing Corporation has been working on a small unit. There is a need for units that are maybe a little under 500 square feet to something that may be a little over 700 square feet. Those are fairly small units basically designed for a single person or a two-person family. I’m wondering if there’s been any progress made for that type of unit.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will be supporting the motion.

I think that this is, again, the ordinary Members going in the right direction. This has been an issue. I never really thought in depth about this three-month notice thing in the private market and the reason for that, and the explanation that Mrs. Groenewegen gave us makes a lot of sense, that even if the Housing Corporation has covered the policy by putting in the maximum rent and then changing only the subsidy portion of it, is essentially a way of getting around a policy that may be very important to the renters.

So I think that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In all fairness, the Minister is correct; there are positive impacts to the delivery of housing at the community level in as far as employment for the community and a good business for some of the local contractors and so on. I don’t want the Minister to get me wrong. I was purely talking about the impacts on the homeowners, not so much what happens with employment in the community.

If the Housing Corporation makes a decision to develop new programs, to revamp programs, would the Minister do this in consultation with the communities?

The Minister said he would look into the transfer of responsibility for homeownership. If that can’t be done across the board, would the Minister look at it as a backup, a contribution agreement signed with either the local housing organizations or the aboriginal governments of the community to deliver homeownership programs in the communities?

I’d like to recognize Agatha Laboucan and Elizabeth Ann McKay from the local housing organizations in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution.

I encourage the Minister to put that provision in the contracts. I think it’s very important. There are a small percentage of people in the communities that could use those materials and assist their own housing needs even though they may not be eligible for the regular programs. Thank you.