The territorial government has rejected a motion passed by MLAs that called for all Elders in public housing to be exempted from paying rent.
The motion, introduced by Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong in March, asked the GNWT to waive rent for all public housing tenants in the NWT aged 65 or above. The request was unanimously backed by regular MLAs with cabinet abstaining from the vote.
Weyallon Armstrong said increases in the cost of living were being felt most acutely by Elders in small communities, pushing them into “difficult choices between essentials like food, heat, medication and housing.”
In a written response published last week, the territorial government said it recognized seniors’ vulnerability regarding living costs but argued they already received some of “the highest subsidized rental rates in Canada.”
On top of heavily subsidized rates, the territory stated, Housing NWT adds another subsidy by exempting $1,000 per month from the gross income of tenants aged 60 or over in public housing. That lowers the assessable income for each senior, which is a figure used by Housing NWT to calculate the monthly rent they should pay.
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The $1,000 exemption was introduced in 2012, the territory stated, and will soon increase to $1,500 per month – further lowering the assessable income for rent purposes.
The GNWT said it is aiming to make that change on January 1, 2027. It expects the $1,500 exemption to mean “an additional $312,000 annually in support for seniors by further reducing rent for up to 200 eligible senior households.”
Rejecting the broader call for Elders’ rent to be waived, the GNWT stated: “A rent waiver for all seniors would not align with Housing NWT’s mandate to increase the wellbeing of individuals and communities by providing fair access to quality housing support for people most in need.”
“Seniors residing in social housing units have varying levels of income,” the territory’s response concluded, “and therefore varying needs for housing supports.”
