Check against delivery.
Mr. Speaker, housing is a fundamental human right. It is a necessity for all Northwest Territories residents and remains a top priority for this government.
The 2025-2026 fiscal year marked the first year of a significant 150-million-dollar capital investment plan for Housing Northwest Territories, funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories with 41.6 million dollars a year over three years.
Mr. Speaker, Housing NWT’s current capital delivery plan includes new construction and major renovations involving a total of 417 housing units.
I would like to specifically highlight the progress made during the 20th Legislative Assembly. To date, 96 new housing units have been completed. Another 150 units are currently under construction and targeted for completion during the term of this Legislative Assembly. These 246 units represent important progress in addressing housing needs across the territory, but we know that meeting those needs will take sustained investment and continued work.
That is why our partnership with Build Canada Homes is so important. This recently announced partnership will contribute another 200 million dollars in new federal funding towards the delivery of multi-year housing projects through 2030, helping us build on the progress already underway and deliver more homes for Northerners.
Mr. Speaker, our work continues to be guided by the findings of the Territorial Housing Needs Assessment. We know that there is a growing need for smaller housing options across the NWT, particularly for single occupants and Elders. One way we are addressing this is by adding 98 single-occupant homes in nine NWT communities by the spring of 2028.
The first ten homes in this project arrived in Ulukhaktok at the end of August, after travelling almost 2,400 kilometres by barge from Hay River. Another ten homes were shipped to Fort Providence at the beginning of September. I am happy to report that all 20 homes are now in place on their lots, and crews are putting the finishing touches on them so tenants can move in.
We are also seeing progress on major projects in Yellowknife and Hay River. The new 50-Unit Mixed-Use Building in Yellowknife completed its topping out ceremony in June and is on track for completion in Spring 2027. In September, construction broke ground in Hay River on the new 30-Unit Residential Building, which is expected to be complete by Winter 2028.
Mr. Speaker, projects like these are also creating opportunities for local northern businesses and workers.
For example, 94 of the homes in our 98-unit project are being manufactured in Hay River by Metcan Building Solutions, through a partnership between ARCAN Construction and the Hay River Métis Government Council. The facility employs ten local workers and is helping build local experience and trades in modular construction. The remaining four homes are being constructed through the newly opened K'áhsho Got'ı̨nę Trades Centre in Fort Good Hope, supporting local skills development and employment opportunities in that community.
In Yellowknife, Ideal Woodwork has been subcontracted by PCL Construction, the general contractor for the new 50-plex, to build kitchen cabinetry for all 50 units in the new mixed-use building, along with custom closets for the accessible suites.
Mr. Speaker, in 2025-2026, over 90% of Housing NWT contracts were awarded to local and NWT businesses, proving that strong partnerships and housing initiatives support the local northern building sector.
Maintaining our current housing stock is another important part of our planned investments. Alongside the larger capital projects, Housing NWT is investing an additional 10 million dollars each year to renovate existing units and address overdue maintenance and repairs. This includes 5 million dollars a year for overdue repairs and maintenance, helping fix an estimated 117 housing units each year over the three-year plan. Mr. Speaker, in the coming months, I look forward to seeing the continued progress on our capital plan and finalizing the agreement with Build Canada Homes for additional much needed housing investment in our territory.
These projects create homes, support northern businesses, and demonstrate what can be achieved when governments, Indigenous partners, communities, and industry work together to address housing needs across the Northwest Territories.
Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.