Thank you. Minister of Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you to the Member for the question as well too, because I see this issue throughout the Northwest Territories and in the smaller communities as well too, and looking for those expertise to construct and to work on our units, it's quite challenging but then as a Minister, I want to see all of these units brought up to standard and being able to be either transferred over to the clients or else look at homeownership. I'm not looking at a BandAid solution; I want these units to be constructed and repaired adequately. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Chair. And mahsi to the Minister for that. I like her commitment there. But it's her commitment. I don't know if it'll actually happen, but I really hope that it will. I'll be watching these projects moving forward any ways to see that they're being done properly from the ground up.
You've got six – 15 units public housing. Is that the rental units, and what kind of retrofits are you planning for them? Mahsi.
Thank you. Minister of Housing.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On this list, all of these units are public housing units and homeownership, and sorry, I didn't hear the last part of the question.
Member for Deh Cho, can you just repeat.
Yeah, asking if these were the public housing units, are they the rental units, and the and my question was what major retrofits are being conducted on these units. Mahsi.
Thank you. Member for or sorry, Minister of Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just going to turn to my department. I don't know if we have that level of the technical information but if we don't, I can follow up with the Member. Vicepresident Jim I mean, sorry, vicepresident Martin. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, so as the Minister mentioned, these major retrofits are being conducted, delivered to support our public housing stock or existing units. In terms of the work, there's a range of M and I, modernization and improvement renovations, components that are being addressed, ranging from heating system improvements to foundation upgrades. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Deh Cho.
No further questions, Madam Chair. Mahsi.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see here major major retrofit for Behchoko. It says it's going to be two units. So it's PH, so must be public housing. And then I see Whati, one unit. How come Gameti and Wekweeti are not on the list for any retrofit? Because right now, as we speak, I know Gameti are in crisis as well because I've been talking to the leadership over there, and they are in a we have a young man that's sleeping in a shack because there's no housing. And that is unacceptable at this time, because it's cold. It's like it's in the minus 30s. And so there's 22 units. And you did mention too that there's going to be 90 units coming in. Maybe you should answer the first one first, please.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I know that I was going to receive this this question, like, throughout the territory as well too because you know, through this budget, we're not able to acquire and renovate and repair all units throughout the Northwest Territories. Our budget is limited. But according to what we have on the ground and we're able to tackle those I guess that phase of units that are that are on this list right now. And looking at the stock and that with our 90unit delivery, I don't have in front of me where these units are going to in Behchoko but I'll turn the that level of detail over to vicepresident Martin. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Vicepresident Martin.
Okay, thank you, Madam Chair. So speaking to the investments here in Behchoko, well certainly those are MNI, modernization and improvement renovations, to 22 units. That's not the delivery of new units; that's just making sure that we stay on track with our renovations for those units to ensure they stay safe for operating purposes.
In terms of the other communities mentioned, Gameti and Wekweeti, Gameti right now has operating about 28 units and Wekweeti about eight. And in Gameti, the average unit condition rating for those units right now is at about 86 percent and for Wekweeti, it's 83 percent. And in terms of the average age of those units, they're fairly new units in those communities. Right now, in Gameti, the average age is about 16 years, and Wekweeti is about 18 years. So the units there right now, the Housing units are in relatively very good condition, and they they're relatively new.
So the Housing Corporation, in terms of allocating our limited resources for 20222023, we've prioritized other communities, such as Behchoko, at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Yes, in Gameti, there are five or six units that are sitting vacant, and I know there's few that needs to be retrofitted. So I don't know who he was talking to. I don't know if they did their inspections there to determine that, you know, there's no retrofit needed there. But I do know there is units that needs to be fixed.
And in Whati too as well, there's only one unit, and as we speak now, there are some family that I know that are living in a senior complex for many years. Some have raised I mean, they're still raising their kids in there, in the senior complex because there's no housing. And they are and there is a family living in the old log house. I'm sure ECE is paying rent for that where there's no essential services. So those are the things that's happening in the community in the communities that I'm aware of that my constituents are experiencing. So those are all unacceptable. It's like it's it's not good. So we do need help.
When I said Tlicho, we are in housing crisis, we are in housing crisis, and I notice that the Minister said BandAid solution, that she's, you know, not into that. But, well, I can tell you that last year or earlier this year, I had two Elders that went on the national TV. Well, after they went on national TV, they got the attention. All their houses was fixed or whatever that needed done was fixed, but it was a BandAid solution. So now the BandAid came off, now they're back to square one. Some of one of them, the pipe froze. There's nothing there that they can I mean, they don't have the services. They don't have the running water, the sewage. It's just the list goes on. And it's really sad. And this is my Elders, 74year old Elder that I'm talking about that she was on the national news. And now, like yeah, she received the BandAid solution. And now the BandAid is off. We're back to square one. So those are the kinds of things. This is for the public unit. But it would be nice to see the home repair program budget. It would have been nice if it was part of this too as well, but I guess that's for the next time. But these are the things that are happening in the small communities. It's just it's really sad for me that I don't like it. That's why I am addressing housing issues for my Member's statement.
And Minister did say that there was 90units. 90 units that's going in or to, in the NWT. Is that this fiscal year or next fiscal year? But you can answer all the question, all the stuff that I mentioned in here too as well.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister for Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Member for all those questions. So, you know, in Behchoko right now, we've got four are repairs for this year. It's 2022, she's right. But then also for the Behchoko also will be getting an additional six units that will be part of the 90unit delivery. Gameti will be receiving two. And Whati will be receiving two as well.
And then also looking at, like, the repairs and whatever like that, I would like to follow up with you as well and, you know, for for what is happening with these and with the Elders here and then go back to that go back to that file as well. And looking at what we do have planned for this year, the 90 units is what we're able to acquire from the federal government. We do have a limited budget that we're working with, and I was quite pleased to see what we've received because I looked at the years before and the investment in the Northwest Territories was not quite significant. So we've made some progress. And I know it doesn't seem like enough, and you know, we do have the 2300 units across the Northwest Territories. We're not able to repair and renovate every single one of them with the budget that we do have.
I'll have President Young elaborate on the response. Thank you.
Do you want the floor back, Member for Monfwi?
One more before they answer because the time is running out. Another one too is that, okay, there's a stress, okay. When they're doing major retrofit in the communities, normally the Housing people, they come to the to the community members who are living the public unit, we're going to repair your house so you move to different unit. That's a they put a stress on the family in that area because do they have a housing unit waiting for them and, or, you know, they tell them that they're they reassure the people that you're going to move back to your unit after it's been fixed. Well, it never happened. I have an Elder that's homeless right now. You know, he's homeless. And I have another young family that live in that certain house that was being retrofit. So they put them in a duplex. So the plan for the young mother was that to purchase the house that she raised her family in. Now another new family came in. So this is what they're doing to the people, is that, okay, do the retrofit, but then the people wants to turn around and buy those units. And out of those 22 units, how many have those units are going to be purchased by the individual? It will be nice if they can transfer, or at a reasonable cost, you know, sell it to the people that are living in those units, because those are units that many of the family have raised their kids in. And if they're not going to give it to I mean, I know they are there are some programs that there are some tenants that were given the unit for one dollar. And it would be nice if they can continue with that practice. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, this just goes to our renewal as well too, and, you know, as you know, I come from a smaller community as well, and I have the same issues as your riding as well. And with these 22 units, I'd be interested to see if there's if we do have the tenants that are wanting to purchase those units, I'd like to work with the Member and see what opportunities that we may have and that could supported through the corporation in looking at a possible transfer to those tenants. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm happy that the Minister brought up the total number of public housing units, and I'm wondering of the total number of public housing units, how many units are currently sitting empty because the Housing Corporation does not have the O and M to fix them up? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll turn the response over to President Martin. Thank you.
Vicepresident? Vicepresident Martin.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Based on the current assessment of our units, the Housing Corporation currently has 102 units that are under repair. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. I think the question was sitting empty with no O and M to repair them.
So at this time, Madam Chair, just to clarify, it's 102 units that are currently under repair. And at this time, for those immediate needs, the Housing Corporation has the resources to complete that work. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Okay, thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Are there any other units other than the 102 that are currently under repair that are sitting empty that might not be currently under repair, just to clarify. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have VicePresident Martin respond. Thank you.
Thank you. VicePresident Martin.
So thank you, Madam Chair. So at this time, the Housing Corporation is operating 2600 units, owned units, and of those owned units 102, as mentioned, are currently vacant and under repair. And at this time, the Housing Corporation is addressing those repairs as soon as possible so that they can be occupied right away. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Okay, thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, does the Housing Corporation have a list of how many units require repairs, major repairs or minor repairs, but are still occupied? Thank you.
So Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we do keep a list of those major and minor repairs for public housing units. Thank you.
Member.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Does the Minister have a number of how many units are currently needing repair that are occupied?
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I can get back to the Member with that number. It's a lot of technical numbers with that. I just want to make sure that we're very clear that I'm able to provide that level of detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.
