Significant new funding has been available to homecare beginning in 2017-2018. $2.5 million annually was included as an investment within the Government of the Northwest Territories. We also have $7.4 million for homecare over a 10-year period that we got from the federal government. This new funding is helping health and social services system enhance home and community care programs and services for clients across the Northwest Territories. Some of the ways that we have been able to do that is the establishment of 14 new homecare positions, as well as training for them, equipment, supplies, and other things that would have been available across the authorities. We have also created five new positions at the department to support the work that we have identified in the Continuing Care Services Action Plan.
Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we recognize that, in the past two years, we have the challenge to spend the $2.5 million investment from the Government of the Northwest Territories. Much of it has been due to the fact that funding, which was needed and appreciated, thanks to the Members for championing it, was not necessarily expected. It has taken the system a little bit longer than we had hoped to put the programs and services in place. It took longer to fill and create those 14 positions than anticipated.
In 2017-2018, the first year we got the money, we did lapse around $900,000. In the 2018-2019 year, we have probably around $500,000 that has been lapsed. I do need to make it clear, Mr. Speaker, and it is important to note, the defunding reallocation or this lapse does not and has not resulted in the reduction of any services in homecare. These were new dollars, and we have spent most of them.