Merci, Monsieur le President. Sorry. I didn't give the Minister and Municipal Community Affairs a headsup, but I've received a number of calls, emails, about the briefing that we had on flooding, and I wanted to take this opportunity to follow up on some concerns that have been raised with me.
First off, I've heard a number of concerns around how the assessment of damages is being done or could be done. And can the Minister tell us whether communities have the ability to hire their or a First Nation would have the ability to hire their own assessors, get the work done, and seek reimbursement. Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister responsibility for Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA has hired an assessor that will be starting early next week. So we'll be going into Jean Marie, and we'll be going into Fort Simpson. They will be working in collaboration with the leadership in those specific communities.
And also the this is a team that has been hired. It's not an individual. And they are northern based. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I don't think I got an answer to my question. Great to hear that there's going to be a GNWT team that goes and does this.
Do community governments, Indigenous governments, have the ability to hire their own experts, their own some of their own staff or staff that they already have in place, do the work, and then seek reimbursement from our government to move this along more quickly? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that level of detail. But, you know, we will be working directly with those affected communities in order for us to making sure that we submit this disaster application correctly to the federal government, but also recognizing that we do have communities north of the MacKenzie River as well too that we're looking at if they are going to be if they do suffer the amount significant damage as well too due to the flooding season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Mr. Speaker. I know it's a question period, and I don't have to necessarily get answers. But I still don't have an answer to that question. So I'll give the Minister the opportunity when she answers my next questions to say that she'll actually respond to the first one I asked.
But, Mr. Speaker, I've had some concerns raised with me about the qualifications, perhaps some of the work that might have been done by some folks that may be doing some of the assessment.
Do homeowners have the ability to seek a second opinion, or if they disagree with the assessment, what is the process for resolving such a dispute? Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is quite the level of detail that I don't have with me right now. And, you know, I just want to reassure that the department is trying to work very strategically with the affected communities.
And looking at just going back to the question of if the communities can hire their own assessor, if MACA or the government would reimburse, I don't have that level of detail. We haven't submitted a disaster application yet, and our conversation with the federal government is ongoing.
But then also looking at, you know, whether we would be able to offer this type of assistance, I don't have that level of information right now. MACA and Housing are currently in the affected communities. They should be returning today back into Yellowknife. And then we are going to be travelling into Fort Good Hope as well too. Making sure that when we submit this application, if there is further support in the smaller communities, how can we work effectively together in making sure that we do have the submission.
I know this is a long answer. But the other thing is that we're looking at positions to uphold this responsibility in making sure that, you know, we work very effectively at the ground level.
Receiving the information, how do we distribute the money, how do we reimburse the individuals, I don't have that level of detail, but those are questions that we are working on as well within the department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le Président. I want to thank the Minister for that. I really do hope that she gets back to us in the House about these questions soon and makes that kind of information available to the public, because as a Yellowknife MLA, I'm getting questions about this now.
So my last question, though, on this topic, Mr. Speaker unless I put up my hand for a third round is, you know, the cost of construction materials is going is escalating exponentially right now. A sheet of plywood has gone up at least three times in value.
What is our government doing now to preposition or secure construction materials now while we can actually still get them to help make sure that the work that's done for these homeowners gets done this summer. Minister's promised sorry. Not allowed to point.
The Minister's promised that she's going to have everybody in their homes by this winter. What is our government doing to secure construction materials now to make sure that that work can actually get done. Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know but with my other hat as Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, this is why I do have staff at the ground level. I need our department to conduct their own assessment. I need to look at the level of damages that are existing in the community, how many houses have been affected so we can put in that order for the material that is required to rebuild those units and get more of a I guess more resources happening at the ground level to work work with the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
