EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
In regard to the member’s question on the Blueprint for Action on Housing report, it will be implemented and it will be different from NHC’s annual report.
I want my colleagues to know that the action items in the (interpretation ends) Blueprint for Action on Housing (interpretation) will move forward. We will provide updates on the progress of these action items.
The status of the plan will be provided in those reports and tabled in the House. We will be putting together a progress report for the House, but this will continue because there are many action items we need to complete.
As we progress, we will be issuing reports and tabling them.
Mr. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed 2017-2020 business plan states, and again I quote, “Each Public Housing unit requires more than $26,500 per year to operate and maintain.
However, funding from CMHC for the social housing inventory, which was transferred to the Corporation in 1996, is declining and will terminate completely in 2037.”
Have you raised this issue in person with the new federal Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and, if so, what was the minister’s response?
Mr. Chairman, the CMHC has been providing funding and it has been declining.
It will terminate completely, as we are all aware, in 2037.
The lack of housing in Nunavut is so huge. We have been working with the other territorial governments such as the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the Yukon Housing Corporation. We have been working together as northern territories.
We had an FPT meeting last fall as ministers responsible for housing.
We met and worked together with the federal minister of housing and CMHC, but I can tell the member that we are working together as the three territories and the other provinces understand where we’re at.
I know that the funding will decline and eventually terminate, although we will definitely need additional funding for public housing and the government will have to provide that funding for Nunavut.
Mr. Tom Sammurtok (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed 2017-2020 business plan indicates that, and again I quote, “NTI and RIAs participated in the development of the Blueprint for Action on Housing, and are identified as supporting partners in several actions within the Blueprint.
NTI and NHC senior management met several times throughout the development of the Blueprint for Action.
The NHC is engaging with NTI and RIAs to inform the development of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy, to be completed in fall 2017.”
What specific resources is NTI contributing with respect to housing-related issues?
As I stated earlier, working on the blueprint for action will be a continuous process. The RIAs and NTI participated in the development of the blueprint for action and we will continue to work with them.
Mr. Chairman, in regard to NTI contributing to housing-related issues, if I understood the member’s question correctly, personally I cannot respond to exactly what kind of contributions they made to the (interpretation ends) blueprint for action.
(interpretation) Perhaps it would be better if my Deputy Minister, Terry Audla, responded to the question because this is a daily operation, if it’s okay with you, Mr. Chairman.
For clarity, Mr. Audla.
Mr. Audla (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) In response to the question on our collaboration with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the regional Inuit associations on the aspect of our lobby efforts with respect to trying to finalize a Nunavut housing strategy, the CHMC has approached the Inuit organizations on a separate occasion, but what we have done is to ensure that the same messaging is being conveyed back to the CMHC.
In that sense we have been working collaboratively in that way, as well as the recent Senate report that was released yesterday where there were joint submissions with respect to the Senate committee at that point.
We have all the same understanding with respect to what’s needed here in Nunavut. We’re going to continue with that collaboration with NTI on the development of the National Housing Strategy.
We do have that commitment and we are going to be working continually and closely with Nunavut Tunngavik and the regional Inuit associations to that end.
Chairman: Thank you. (interpretation) We are dealing with the Nunavut Housing Corporation. Following my list of names, Mr. Enook.
Before I go to my line of questioning, I wish to welcome you as I know that projects that are properly prepared sometimes don’t move ahead.
I know for a fact that this upcoming summer various communities will have building construction projects and this is pleasing to hear about.
I just wish to remind the minister that either through the difficulties of obtaining lots or whatever problems the corporation faces in any of our communities where construction projects are to go ahead, if any problems arise and if you had to choose a new community, Pond Inlet will welcome you with open arms.
The area with vacant lots where buildings are being constructed already has an access road and the utility infrastructure is completed.
I just wanted to remind my friend, the minister.
Let me ask this question. I have referenced in the past the agreement between LHOs and the housing corporation.
The response in the past indicated a new agreement was in the works and that it will clearly lay out the responsibilities and roles of each organization.
Are you able to inform us of some of the newer parts of the agreement under consideration and which areas in particular will change?
Further, the comments before he asked his question were a reminder to me. I thank him for that reminder.
When I get reminders, I appreciate it.
Mr. Chairman, with regard to his question, the actual barriers, if I understood his question correctly related to local housing organizations and an agreement with the housing corporation as an example, if I state it in English, it would be a (interpretation ends) management agreement. (interpretation) Is the member talking about these agreements?
Okay, I understood that.
With respect to the actual details and which areas will be amended, I personally don’t have that level of detail. This process hasn’t resulted in a document for my review as yet, but work has begun.
My deputy minister would have information as to where the process is at and the details related to the member’s question, if you will allow.
Mr. Audla (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the member for that question.
The management agreements we are negotiating with the local housing organizations are currently being reviewed.
This is the first series of adjustments and amendments we just recently reviewed. We have clearly identified the LHOs that will be part of this new management agreement that will form part of the review working group.
It is clear that the Pond Inlet housing manager is involved in this working group.
We will be travelling to the communities to explain the new management agreement and to see what their thoughts are on the terms of the agreement.
We just want to explain the management agreement and we want to make them clearer to understand and more to the point as to where their authorities are, how they would operate housing, and what the board would be able to decide on. How the financial contributions that they get every year would be managed is a continuing process.
I’m proud to say that our staff are always working with the local housing authorities to see how things can be improved.
I know perhaps by this fall we should have the agreements done and they won’t all be agreed to at the same time with the 25 communities.
It’s a progressive thing.
For example, in Pond Inlet they have a new management agreement and if they approve it, they can sign it. If it was running fine, then they can just sign the agreement and keep going.
Other communities will be visited to be consulted about the new management agreement.
That is how we will proceed.
I believe I understand that each community has their own agreement, (interpretation ends) a master agreement. (interpretation) That’s what you have stated in your documents, but the implementation of the agreement won’t be happening all at the same time.
The deputy minister just stated that maybe they will be implemented this early winter.
Do I understand correctly that there will be no agreement implemented during the life of this government and it will only come out after the new government is in place?
I want to give you a clear answer.
The agreements that we have right now between LHOs or authorities and the housing corporation, as to what the agreements are or how the agreements are, there was a question about the details as to what main changes there will be that come out of the review and when we will be able to show you the changes.
We won’t be able to bring out the agreements for all the communities right away, as I believe my colleague understands. We will have to work on them one at a time. There are 25 communities in Nunavut.
That means, as my deputy minister stated, we can expect it to be completed after 2017 and in that year we will be able to explain the main changes.
The communities follow the agreements and they have to follow certain things. They have to follow the Societies Act and they also have to present financial statements.
Can you tell us today if any of the housing boards in Nunavut are not keeping up?
I sort of understand the question, but if I didn’t understand it properly, I may not respond properly as to what we haven’t kept up with.
I would like my colleague to explain the question further if it’s okay with you, Mr. Chairman.
Please rephrase your question, Mr. Enook.
What I’m trying to say is local housing boards in the communities, according to the agreement, are supposed to bring out different reports like financial statements or what they’re supposed to initiate every year.
Do you have any communities that haven’t been able to do that?
(interpretation ends) Are there any local housing associations not in good standing with the Societies Act or other annual statements that they need to be producing?
(interpretation) I hope that the minister now understands my question.
Yes, I understand the question now. Mr. Chairman, to date, looking at our local housing associations, have they completed all their reporting requirements?
Yes, they have been keeping up.
Colleagues, (interpretation ends) we will now take a break for lunch and report back at 1:30 p.m.
>>Committee recessed at 11:43 and resumed at 13:27
In Committee of the Whole, the Nunavut Housing Corporation. Next name on my list, Ms. Angnakak.
Good afternoon, everyone and welcome back.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s 2015-16 annual report that was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on November 8, last November, indicated that the Nunavut Housing Corporation is exploring the feasibility of effecting payroll deductions for GN staff in public housing.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation is finalizing, I understand, “a memorandum of understanding with the department of Family Services to allow Income Assistance clients’ rent payments to be paid directly to LHOs.
As of today what is the status of these two initiatives?
Mr. Chairman, with respect to her question about the two initiatives, they are still being worked on and the department that she referred to, (interpretation ends) Family Services, (interpretation) is involved in the work that we’re doing on it.
The work hasn’t been completed yet and handed to me, so I don’t have anything to report on that at this moment.
It is still being worked on. (interpretation ends) Thank you.
I’m going to go to a different topic.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s Long-term Comprehensive Housing and Homelessness Strategy states that “Staff housing should provide new employees who move into market communities with a home until they become settled.”
Then, “These employees should be encouraged to move into the private sector or discouraged from remaining in staff housing”.
What specific options are currently being considered to encourage employees to move out of staff housing?
That means that our staff who live in staff housing... .
If I understood the question, she asked what we have done to encourage our staff while they’re living in staff housing.
Our staff have more than one option that they can choose to go through. They can purchase their own house. We want them to end up having their private home and get out of staff housing.
That is what we are really encouraging our staff to do because they are more able to afford private homes than people who don’t have jobs.
We want our staff who live in staff houses to buy their own houses and improve themselves.
We would prefer the staff who are staying in public housing, especially because of our lack of public housing, to purchase their own home so that more public housing can be made available for regular people.
That is how we encourage our staff to buy their own houses or if they’re staying in public housing, we would like them to get out of public housing so that more needy people can use public housing.
That’s how we have set it up.
Can the minister tell us how many employees that were in staff housing have moved out of staff housing to go into their own homes?
We don’t have the information as to exactly how many there are.
We can look into this to see if we can get the figures, but right now I don’t have the information as to how many staff there are.
Is the minister saying that they don’t track that at all or they just don’t have the information today?
Hon. George Kuksuk: That is correct.
We don’t have the information. As well we don’t have a tracking system on that currently.
I would encourage them to look into doing that, then you kind of know where you are with things, otherwise the dependency will always be there.
Speaking about that, the Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed 2017-2020 business plan also indicates that it “will hold an initial planning meeting with the Department of Finance to analyze current staff housing subsidy to determine subsidy levels that encourage transition out of staff housing” and that it will also “hold an initial planning meeting with the Department of Finance to establish a framework to guide a review of the current prioritization system and process for allocating staff housing units, and reallocating vacant units.”
When do you think all of these meetings are going to happen?
I would like my deputy minister to explain where we’re at now with our meetings with the Department of Finance. If it’s okay with you, Mr. Chairman, I would like my deputy minister to provide the details.
Mr. Audla (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) Thank you for the question.
To sort of capture everything that you asked with the responses from the minister as well, under the blueprint for action under the “Key Issue: Meeting the Housing Needs of GN Employees,” actions 20, 21, 22, and 23 sort of identify and answer the question.
We are currently working towards conducting a survey of staff housing tenants to gauge interest for homeownership.
Under Action 20 with the timeframe, we see it in the short term where in the year one activities starting April 1, where we hope to hold initial meetings between Finance and the housing corporation to “Begin development of a survey tool to support an employee’s survey.”
Following that, Action 21 where we’re looking to review and revise the current GN Staff Housing Policy, followed by Action 22 where we will analyze the current staff housing subsidy to determine subsidy levels that encourage transition out of government-subsidized housing, and Action 23 where we review the current procedures for use of existing staff housing stock.
We have been in initial discussions with the Department of Finance.
We’re currently looking at the methodology of how we’re going to conduct those surveys and also to look at in larger centres such as Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay, considering the private market, what is available currently, what are the possibilities of success with respect to staff transitioning out of GN-subsidized housing.
As you well know, the limited options that we have in communities outside of those major centres is something that we’re going to have to really look at closely as well because we do want to expand that continuum of available housing, be it for the private market, homeownership, condo program, co-op housing, all of that type of housing that could be options.
We’re hoping to do this in the immediate term within one year.
We’re currently in negotiations right now with a consultant to scope out the actual type of survey that we want and to try to make that determination as to what the best approach may be. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your response. That’s a good response.
When you talk about transition and that, it could become a little hard because when you’re in government housing, you’re subsidized and everybody likes to be subsidized.
I know you said that you were going to do some research and that, but do you think that the government is prepared to reduce staff housing subsidies for high-income employees?
If you had, I’m just using as an example, if you had two DMs and they were married to each other in one house, is that something that you feel as a department is the right thing to continue to do or do you think that there will be changes made there?
I would like my deputy minister to continue with the response to that line of questioning.
Mr. Audla (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) As it stands right now, as part of, let’s say for example, Action 22, where we’re looking to analyze the current staff housing subsidy to determine subsidy levels that encourage transition out of government-subsidized housing, in the context of whether there are individual positions or staff that make a certain amount salary-wise, whether that is a position that either needs a subsidy or is making enough money that they don’t need it, that’s something that we will have to determine in collaboration with the Department of Finance as to whether or not it would be something that we would look at.
It’s certainly something that is worthwhile discussing.
From that point we will make the best determination as to how to best approach that. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I guess my other question then is; you made reference to having an external review of the GN housing policies and I understand they’re going to issue a request for proposals.
When is the RFP scheduled to be issued?
We expect to have the RFP out this fiscal year-end before March 31, 2017.
That’s right around the corner.
I want to go to something else. I want to ask some questions on the local housing organizations.
Your 2015-16 annual report indicated there is a total of a little over $30 million in rent receivables and that your collection rate decreased from 89.6 percent.
It was 89.6 percent in the 2013-14 fiscal year and in the 2015-16 fiscal year it decreased to 83.8 percent.
Can the minister tell us what factors account for that decrease in the collection rate?
With respect to rent receivables, we have to work closely with the local housing authorities.
The local housing organizations know how high the rent receivables are and under which category the arrears are the largest.
Our local housing organizations have been consulted on ways and means to lower the rental arrears.
In total the arrears are very high. As we have stated in the past, we would be able to construct many units if the entire rental arrear amount was paid off.
Due to the size of this debt this is where we are. However, we have to look at options and we continue to try to assist the LHOs.
There are many reasons that result in the arrears and collections of rental arrears. Particular reasons for lowering the rental arrears are our focus.
Mr. Chairman, I can’t state a particular reason for this as we haven’t identified it. However, we are continually brainstorming on ways to lower the arrears.
We continue to work on this file, but there is no specific answer to the member’s question for the various reasons that result in the inability of the tenants to pay off their rental arrears.
We don’t have a singular reason why we have arrived at this stage and we can’t answer with a simple reason.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you. Just looking at the difference in percentages out of a lot of money there, I think it accounts for quite a lot of money and I find it kind of hard to believe if you guys don’t really know what factors account for the decrease.
Maybe back then you had better managers that would be able to collect better.
Perhaps the president can give us his thoughts.
The president can make a supplementary to the comments I made with regard to Ms. Angnakak’s question if it’s okay with you.
Mr. Audla (interpretation): Thank you. (interpretation ends) Thank you for that question.
It’s not a matter of the effectiveness of the managers being that we only have one person in the collections and mortgages position.
When you compare that to the NWT, they have six positions whereas we only have the one.
That individual has been quite diligent in trying to work with the local tenant relations officers to ensure that collection is happening and it varies from community to community.
Some communities’ collection rate is over 100 percent. In some communities, if I look at my numbers right, the lowest is 64 percent. Each year it changes depending on an individual tenant’s capability or want of contributing to paying their rent.
If you notice in the committee chair’s opening statements, there was a suggestion that we have been working towards trying to address that amount of arrears in working with Family Services, for example, looking at the income support clients.
In looking at the numbers, we feel that 75 percent of the $30 million or so in arrears stem from potential income support clients.
Once we have worked with Family Services to see what we can do to address that so that rather than... .
As it stands right now, the policy is they’re given a cheque for rent and then it’s their prerogative to turn around and hand that physical cheque to the LHO. For whatever reason that doesn’t happen.
What we’re hoping to do is rather than giving that cheque physically to the tenant, they actually cut that cheque to the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
We’re hoping that addresses a lot of the 75 percent maybe.
We’re always looking to see what we can do better.
We’re hoping to get a communications person into the corporation to assist in working with the local tenant relations officers and LHOs so that every single tenant that is in public housing knows and understands that they do have that responsibility on a monthly basis and hopefully that will go a long way.
As it stands, we’re doing as best as we can with the current one position that we have. The district managers and directors as well are working hard and being diligent in ensuring that all collection is happening as much on a regular basis as well.
It’s something that we’re trying to get on top of.
We feel confident that in our discussions with Family Services, a lot of it will be addressed, but it will be a matter of time before we actually know the effectiveness of that. (interpretation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Angnakak: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the president for his response. It’s informative.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation’s proposed 2017-2020 business plan indicates that one of its priorities for the 2017-18 fiscal year is to “develop and implement LHO deficit recovery plans.”
As of today which LHOs are in deficit and what is the size of each LHO deficit? I don’t know if that was already asked or not.
There are 4 out of 25 LHOs that are in deficit and they are Cambridge Bay, Hall Beach, Pangnirtung, and Rankin Inlet. Those are the local housing organizations that are in a deficit situation.
Can the minister tell us what are the usual reasons for an LHO to get into a deficit position where the others are not?