[English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak on housing repairs in Tu Nedhe. First, I want to thank the Minister and the NWT Housing Corporation for increasing the budget from just under $800,000 in 2007 to over $8.5 million in 2010-11 for repairing and renovating homes.
Mr. Speaker, it is now in place and it’s now time for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to get into the communities to go see the homeowners that need repairs. A good strategy on preventing private homes from falling into complete disrepair and getting to the stage where the houses are no longer economical to repair is needed. Mr. Speaker, once a unit falls beyond economical repair, it has to be replaced. In Tu Nedhe most of the privately owned homes can still be saved.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation must begin to focus on certain core need issues in order to decrease the core need numbers across the NWT. The NWT Housing Corporation now has a golden opportunity to plan, organize and deliver repair programs for senior homeowners that will actively reduce core need for this group.
Mr. Speaker, there are about 150 homeownership units in Tu Nedhe. About 60 to 70 of those are senior households, and perhaps as high as 50 of them need repairs immediately. Mr. Speaker, even at an average cost of about $40,000 for each of the units, it’s around $2 million over the next couple of years where core need in Tu Nedhe can be reduced by 15 to 20 percent.
Hear! Hear!
Plus, Mr. Speaker, while waiting for the repairs, our oldest residents, each of the oldest residents in both Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e passed away before receiving the assistance they were requesting.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister on their plan to address core need issues in the area of adequacy for seniors’ households at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.
