This is page numbers 3221 - 3266 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was units.
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Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho
Mahsi, Madam Chair. And mahsi to the Minister for that. I like her commitment there. But it's her commitment. I don't know if it'll actually happen, but I really hope that it will. I'll be watching these projects moving forward any ways to see that they're being done properly from the ground up.
You've got six - 15 units public housing. Is that the rental units, and what kind of retrofits are you planning for them? Mahsi.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. On this list, all of these units are public housing units and homeownership, and -- sorry, I didn't hear the last part of the question.
Consideration Of Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Ronald Bonnetrouge Deh Cho
Yeah, asking if these were -the public housing units, are they the rental units, and the -- and my question was what major retrofits are being conducted on these units. Mahsi.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just going to turn to my department. I don't know if we have that level of the technical information but if we don't, I can follow up with the Member. Vice-president Jim -- I mean, sorry, vice-president Martin. Thank you.
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Martin
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, so as the Minister mentioned, these major retrofits are being conducted, delivered to support our public housing stock or existing units. In terms of the work, there's a range of M and I, modernization and improvement renovations, components that are being addressed, ranging from heating system improvements to foundation upgrades. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see here major -- major retrofit for Behchoko. It says it's going to be two units. So it's PH, so must be public housing. And then I see Whati, one unit. How come Gameti and Wekweeti are not on the list for any retrofit? Because right now, as we speak, I know Gameti are in crisis as well because I've been talking to the leadership over there, and they are in a -- we have a young man that's sleeping in a shack because there's no housing. And that is unacceptable at this time, because it's cold. It's like -- it's in the minus 30s. And so there's 22 units. And you did mention too that there's going to be 90 units coming in. Maybe you should answer the first one first, please.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. And I know that I was going to receive this -- this question, like, throughout the territory as well too because you know, through this budget, we're not able to acquire and renovate and repair all units throughout the Northwest Territories. Our budget is limited. But according to what we have on the ground and we're able to tackle those -- I guess that phase of units that are -- that are on this list right now. And looking at the stock and that -- with our 90-unit delivery, I don't have in front of me where these units are going to in Behchoko but I'll turn the -- that level of detail over to vice-president Martin. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Martin
Okay, thank you, Madam Chair. So speaking to the investments here in Behchoko, well certainly those are MNI, modernization and improvement renovations, to 22 units. That's not the delivery of new units; that's just making sure that we stay on track with our renovations for those units to ensure they stay safe for operating purposes.
In terms of the other communities mentioned, Gameti and Wekweeti, Gameti right now has operating about 28 units and Wekweeti about eight. And in Gameti, the average unit condition rating for those units right now is at about 86 percent and for Wekweeti, it's 83 percent. And in terms of the average age of those units, they're fairly new units in those communities. Right now, in Gameti, the average age is about 16 years, and Wekweeti is about 18 years. So the units there right now, the Housing units are in relatively very good condition, and they -- they're relatively new.
So the Housing Corporation, in terms of allocating our limited resources for 2022-2023, we've prioritized other communities, such as Behchoko, at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
Yes, in Gameti, there are five or six units that are sitting vacant, and I know there's few that needs to be retrofitted. So I don't know who he was talking to. I don't know if they did their inspections there to determine that, you know, there's no retrofit needed there. But I do know there is units that needs to be fixed.
And in Whati too as well, there's only one unit, and as we speak now, there are some family that I know that are living in a senior complex for many years. Some have raised -- I mean, they're still raising their kids in there, in the senior complex because there's no housing. And they are -- and there is a family living in the old log house. I'm sure ECE is paying rent for that where there's no essential services. So those are the things that's happening in the community -- in the communities that I'm aware of that my constituents are experiencing. So those are all unacceptable. It's like -- it's -- it's not good. So we do need help.
When I said Tlicho, we are in housing crisis, we are in housing crisis, and I notice that the Minister said Band-Aid solution, that she's, you know, not into that. But, well, I can tell you that last year or earlier this year, I had two Elders that went on the national TV. Well, after they went on national TV, they got the attention. All their houses was fixed or whatever that needed done was fixed, but it was a Band-Aid solution. So now the Band-Aid came off, now they're back to square one. Some of -- one of them, the pipe froze. There's nothing there that they can -- I mean, they don't have the services. They don't have the running water, the sewage. It's just -- the list goes on. And it's really sad. And this is my Elders, 74-year old Elder that I'm talking about that she was on the national news. And now, like -- yeah, she received the Band-Aid solution. And now the Band-Aid is off. We're back to square one. So those are the kinds of things. This is for the public unit. But it would be nice to see the home repair program budget. It would have been nice if it was part of this too as well, but I guess that's for the next time. But these are the things that are happening in the small communities. It's just -- it's really sad for me that I don't like it. That's why I am addressing housing issues for my Member's statement.
And Minister did say that there was 90-units. 90 units that's going in or to, in the NWT. Is that this fiscal year or next fiscal year? But you can answer all the question, all the stuff that I mentioned in here too as well.
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December 1st, 2021
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Member for all those questions. So, you know, in Behchoko right now, we've got four are repairs for this year. It's 2022, she's right. But then also for the -- Behchoko also will be getting an additional six units that will be part of the 90-unit delivery. Gameti will be receiving two. And Whati will be receiving two as well.
And then also looking at, like, the repairs and whatever like that, I would like to follow up with you as well and, you know, for -- for what is happening with these and with the Elders here and then go back to that -- go back to that file as well. And looking at what we do have planned for this year, the 90 units is what we're able to acquire from the federal government. We do have a limited budget that we're working with, and I was quite pleased to see what we've received because I looked at the years before and the investment in the Northwest Territories was not quite significant. So we've made some progress. And I know it doesn't seem like enough, and you know, we do have the 2300 units across the Northwest Territories. We're not able to repair and renovate every single one of them with the budget that we do have.
I'll have President Young elaborate on the response. Thank you.
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Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi
One more before they answer because the time is running out. Another one too is that, okay, there's a stress, okay. When they're doing major retrofit in the communities, normally the Housing people, they come to the -- to the community members who are living the public unit, we're going to repair your house so you move to different unit. That's a -- they put a stress on the family in that area because do they have a housing unit waiting for them and, or, you know, they tell them that they're -- they reassure the people that you're going to move back to your unit after it's been fixed. Well, it never happened. I have an Elder that's homeless right now. You know, he's homeless. And I have another young family that live in that certain house that was being retrofit. So they put them in a duplex. So the plan for the young mother was that to purchase the house that she raised her family in. Now another new family came in. So this is what they're doing to the people, is that, okay, do the retrofit, but then the people wants to turn around and buy those units. And out of those 22 units, how many have those units are going to be purchased by the individual? It will be nice if they can transfer, or at a reasonable cost, you know, sell it to the people that are living in those units, because those are units that many of the family have raised their kids in. And if they're not going to give it to -- I mean, I know they are -- there are some programs that there are some tenants that were given the unit for one dollar. And it would be nice if they can continue with that practice. Thank you.
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Paulie Chinna Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, you know, this just goes to our renewal as well too, and, you know, as -- you know, I come from a smaller community as well, and I have the same issues as your riding as well. And with these 22 units, I'd be interested to see if there's -- if we do have the tenants that are wanting to purchase those units, I'd like to work with the Member and see what opportunities that we may have and that could supported through the corporation in looking at a possible transfer to those tenants. Thank you.
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