Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last summer, in June of 2023 that is, Canada supported one of the housing projects here in Yellowknife, and it's called the Aspen Apartments. It will provide 36 permanent units, homes that is, for families.
Mr. Speaker, noting what the Minister had just said about 330 people on the waiting list and how slow it is to get on that list, and it appears to be a chronic problem, where is the current state of this particular project and when can we expect them to be putting families into homes? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Two questions, but I'll turn to the Minister for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the Aspen Apartments, the 36unit here in Yellowknife that Housing NWT recently acquired, according to the updates from Housing NWT it's going to take up to 24 months to get them housed and to have tenants in the apartment building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a former employee with the department of public works for the government, I actually helped do projects in that building. Many of us in this room, you know, maybe even some Cabinet folks, will remember the crisis that happened to the YWCA where one of their buildings burnt down and they were able to facilitate to let people move into that place even for about a year. So, Mr. Speaker and there were other opportunities. What is so dangerous to that building that we couldn't do a phased move in and a phased repair to ensure people and families are safely living in an environment that they can be rather than at risk or sitting waiting at risk on the 330 waiting list? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had an opportunity to visit the YWCA and to look at their new unit and new building, and it was amazing. At the end of the day, the service that they provide and the programs they provide, I'm so happy to see that type of facility here in Yellowknife.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And on that point, across the North, as the Minister said, there's homes sitting being heated and families not accessible throughout the territory, and the Minister knows this.
Mr. Speaker, my next question is specific to the units. Is there a way to develop a program that builds pride and we'll call it theoretic ownership into this? In other words, is there a way to get families involved in the project? And when I'm saying involved, I mean like painting rooms and being involved in that stuff. The moment you get clients building some type of relationship with where they live, they build a personal ownership and hence there's a ripple effect of pride and taking care of the place.
So would the Minister, as I'm getting at, is would she be able to look at seeing if there's any way to get these social clients who will be moving into involved in the project? So, you know, when they know it's their home, they feel it's an investment into their future as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I could understand where the Member's coming from, pride in our home is very, very important and investing into that home is important as well. I don't know if there's a way but I can find out if there's a way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
