Mr. Speaker, guided by the Housing NWT capital plan, we are creating more homes for Northerners by working with the Government of Canada, NWT industry partners, and applying innovative approaches to construction. By the close of the 2024-2025 fiscal year, Housing NWT and contractors will have completed the delivery of more than 80 housing units across the territory. This achievement includes 10 units for the transitional housing additions recovery program in Yellowknife and Inuvik, the installation of a biomass heating system for 20 public housing units in Fort Simpson, and major repairs to more than 140 units located throughout the territory. All of these projects result in new public housing units and modernized and repaired units. They also contribute significantly to the NWT economy, with more than 90 percent of contracts awarded to local and territorial businesses. These investments generate new opportunities for Northerners:
Jobs in communities,
Prospects for businesses,
Workforce development; and, most importantly,
New homes for our residents.
The Housing NWT capital plan includes scalable opportunities ranging from renovation projects for small and emerging local contractors to large multi-million-dollar construction projects for NWT contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers.
Mr. Speaker, as spring approaches, Housing NWT intends to maximize the short northern construction season with construction planned to start on 17 new public housing replacement units located in smaller communities and regional centers.
Housing NWT's capital plan targets not only the quantity of builds and renovations but also promotes innovation in residential construction. For example, this spring in Yellowknife a 50-unit building will break ground followed by rapid assembly of a mass timber structural system, the first in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, in Deline, Housing NWT is working cooperatively with both a contractor, manufacturer from the NWT, and an Indigenous government to pilot a hybrid construction approach. This innovative approach combines the benefits of a manufactured modular service core with on-site construction methods to gain the best attributes of modular and stick-built construction. Housing NWT has received a development grant from the National Research Council of Canada. This grant will allow Housing NWT to research and collaborate with their team as part of the construction sector digitization and productivity challenge program.
A significant portion of Housing NWT's capital plan is funded through contributions from Canada. We continue to work closely with them to emphasize the needs of the Northwest Territories and advocate for continued housing funding, both for the Northwest Territories' housing program and for others delivering housing across the North. The NWT Housing forum and the recent housing symposium are examples of this coordination and advocacy in practice.
Mr. Speaker, through this coming construction season, Housing NWT will continue to focus on delivering more homes for Northerners by working with Indigenous governments, providing opportunities to industry, implementing innovative approaches to construction, and continued engagement with the Government of Canada. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
