Masi, Madam Speaker. [English translation not available.] ...and families to identify gaps in existing resources. Madam Speaker, question to NWT Housing Corporation: what are the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's programs available for seniors so they can maintain their own homes? Masi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. The programs that are offered for the seniors to age in place, we do have a safe program. We do have the accessibility to accommodate the limited mobilities for the seniors. Also, we have constructed seniors' complexes throughout the Northwest Territories, and trying to support the seniors to age in place. I don't know all the programs off the top of my head, but I can provide the Member with the programs that we do have listed. Also, working in conjunction with my colleagues, that we do have a set programming to address that, to have our seniors age in place, and the number of programs that are out there throughout the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Again, I would like to touch on the support agencies and families to identify gaps in existing resources as part of our mandate. We know that the cost of airfare into our isolated communities is quite high across the North and my region, about three communities I represent. If any work has to be done on a senior's home in an isolated community, those travel costs are often passed on to the senior on top of the actual cost of the work involved. Are there any Housing Corporation programs specific to having a certified oil burning mechanic to visit all our communities so that they can service the furnaces for our most vulnerable seniors?
The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation created the seniors aging-in-place program to help seniors improve the durability of their home and to make energy-efficient retrofits every year. It is an easy program to access and seniors can apply for this every year. There is also a co-payment portion for seniors who make only low to moderate income. Seniors can also access the SAFE program, the emergency repair program, to access up to $10,000 per year for urgent emergency repairs, such as furnace failure. Seniors can also have their furnace maintained under the preventative maintenance program, up to $3,000 per year. As for seniors' complexes, I just really would like to stress that we have completed seniors' complexes throughout the territory, and we are now just looking at one in the Sahtu that is just completed. We've constructed five of them.
The Minister hasn't really answered my question about if they had specific certified burner mechanics visiting the isolated communities. I'll just move on to the next question, because these are tough questions that the department should be answering, especially for our elders in the communities. A couple of months ago, I had an 82-year-old senior constituent out of Behchoko who had furnace issues, and this was broadcast on the CBC, as well, when we were in the middle of a two-week-long cold spell. Apparently, her furnace had not been serviced for a few years. In the end, Polar Ice from Yellowknife stepped up to the plate and fixed her furnace for free. Masi to Polar Ice for doing such an awesome job for this elder. Would the Minister consider implementing a pilot project so that every senior in our communities can have their furnace serviced on an annual basis as a safety precaution, as well?
My apologies to the Member that I didn't answer the last question about the burner mechanics going into the communities. We do have contractors who go out and they do work on the function of the homes, looking at the water heaters and the furnaces, and making sure that they are up and they are functioning. I'm not familiar with the contractors who go into the isolated communities, but also I just wanted to inform the Member that we do have the SAFE program that is accessible for the furnace and upkeep of them and to make sure that they are maintained, and it's up to $10,000. I would encourage the residents in his riding to contact the Housing Corporation further to complete the application.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Madam Speaker. The Minister is referring to an application-based process, and a lot of our elders obviously are struggling, sometimes because of individuals living in their household. It's based on household income, so most times, they don't qualify, unfortunately. When it comes to two weeks of cold spell, this is a very urgent matter that we need to deal with on an annual basis, to service their furnaces, especially the vulnerable elders. I've touched on Polar Ice as a contractor going to the community, on their own services. Could we have something similar to that as a pilot project in our communities, not just my Tlicho communities, but other isolated communities in the Northwest Territories? I believe this is, indeed, an asset that we should be utilizing, having those individuals qualified to service the furnaces. Madam Speaker, masi.
I am interested in looking at that, actually looking at our application process. I have gotten feedback that it is quite difficult for the residents of the Northwest Territories to access our programs. I would like to go forward and encourage that initiative and that suggestion from the Member. It's something that I will work towards, and I would like to have a conversation with my department to see how we can initialize that and work with that initiative going forward throughout the Northwest Territories and make sure that our elders are getting the services that they need. If it's just a simple application process that is keeping them from accessing our programs, I would really like to connect the LHO housing managers and the clients, that we are there and we are able to get the applications done immediately, but I will be working with the Member going forward. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi.
I believe that's my fifth question, now, Madam Speaker. I just want to say I look forward to departmental correspondence on this particular, very important, matter in my region. When can we see this happening? Masi.
Going forward, looking at this initiative, I would like to hopefully be able to get back into the communities, hopefully, I want to commit in July, that I would like to look at this and then going forward and looking at the need for the rest of the Northwest Territories and working with the Member, also. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
