Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I was asking the Minister responsible for Housing, he said that the corporation demand, he was talking about the demand and need of the HELP units in the communities. Can the Minister provide what the corporation definition is of "demand" for HELP units in the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If there are four applicants, there are four HELP units, I would assume there was a need. Unfortunately, I guess the corporation has a different matrix of deciding what needs are. It is my understanding that the Housing Corporation is bringing in two more units during the winter months. Are these units going to be HELP units or market rent units?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions will be for the Minister responsible for Housing. The corporation has this great program called HELP, and it helps people get into their homes and become homeowners, and I think it's a great program. However, recently I've been advised that there were four applicants for four units in the community of Fort Simpson. Two candidates were very successful and very happy to hear that; however, one of the other two were competing now for only one unit because they turned in one of the HELP units into the market house renting. Can the Minister explain...

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a large amount of money to be sole-sourced. I've looked at the Financial Administration Act, and I know the Executive Council made on behalf of the government authorized contracts, authorized to enter into a contract that falls within a class of contracts. However, the Executive Council must record its reasons for authorized contracts entered into these things. Can the Minister advise how he was able to enter a sole-source contract for this type of huge amount of money, and if there was a record of...

I appreciate the Minister's answer. He kind of took part of my next question. Can the Minister advise this House how much the sole-source contract is worth for this three-year period?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I am stumped for words here because, first of all, I have never, ever said anything bad about the district office. They have done a great job. They are promoting the information out there. They are getting there, but what I am seeing is that the Housing Corporation has changed a HELP unit to market rental unit, we are bringing in more market rental units, and people are still looking for HELP units. Is this government taking away the HELP units, then? Is this no longer going to be an option for people in the future?

I thank the Minister for that answer. So he is talking about community housing plans and that, and we are going to do six in the next year coming up, so can he tell me when Fort Simpson is going to be on that list? Because, if we are going to be waiting six, 12, 14, two years from now, I would like to know that so the community can know that. Because right now the Housing Corporation is relying on these community housing plans, so can the Minister advise us when Fort Simpson will be on that list?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's great news, and I thank the Minister for providing that here today. With these new units coming into place, will that unit they changed from HELP to market be turned back to a HELP unit so residents can have that opportunity to get into this program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I wasn't asking about applicants. I am just saying that I know that there were four applicants, four HELP units. Again, what was the rationale to reduce that one, take one of those HELP units to a market unit, because there are two applicants looking for these types of units?