Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was going to do an acknowledgement for Dave Hurley today but being the selfless guy that he is, he asked that I instead highlight the important work Habitat for Humanity is doing in the NWT. So that is what I am speaking about today.
Habitat for Humanity Northwest Territories is a non-profit organization working toward a North where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Established in 2013, the NWT affiliate is one of the youngest in the country. Their mission is to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership for working northern families by providing a hand up, not a handout. It is not a free home, and homes are not given away. Applicants must be able to make affordable mortgage payments and contribute 500 volunteer hours working on their home or in the community. Habitat uses a shared equity mortgage model to lower the cost of homeownership and provide an opportunity to own a home to people who may not otherwise have that opportunity. Habitat staff support the homeowner and help prepare them for homeownership by providing training and resources on home maintenance, budgeting, and other support. Mortgage payments are set at 25 percent of household income, which allows families to build equity and save for their family's future by lowering their monthly living costs.
In 2021, Habitat received CMHC funding to build ten family homes over five years. This funding was the turning point in their ability to provide affordable housing to NWT residents. The organization was able to hire staff and build at least two homes a year. Since 2021, Habitat has built seven homes in three NWT communities, providing seven families an incredible opportunity to become homeowners with affordable mortgage payments. Of all families who have become homeowners since 2013, 80 percent are Indigenous or Inuit and more than half are single parents. Families range in size from one to seven children. All were living in unsafe, unsuitable, and/or unaffordable housing before becoming Habitat homeowners.
Mr. Speaker, partnerships are crucial to Habitat's work. Habitat partnered with the city of Yellowknife, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the town of Hay River who donated building lots to the organization for their recent builds.
Housing NWT, Yellowknife's Elks Lodge, and many local contractors and businesses are also long-time financial supporters of Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Habitat for Humanity, and I am sure my colleagues will also for the great work they are doing in our communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
