Akaitcho Territory communities will have access to free home inspections as part of an arrangement with the NWT government, local leaders say.
The initiative was announced in a Friday news release from the office of Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon, who represents the Akaitcho communities of Ndılǫ, Dettah, Łútsël K’é and Fort Resolution.
Home inspections provide an assessment of a home’s condition and can identify areas where repairs or improvements are needed.
They are often a prerequisite for other programs designed to upgrade or renovate housing.
According to Edjericon, the funding was secured through his efforts alongside those of Akaitcho community chiefs and governments.
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His office said many privately owned homes in the NWT were built through federal programs in the previous century and are now more than 50 years old.
“The funding for these private home inspections was provided by the GNWT so that the information gathered could then be used to secure more substantial resources from the federal government to complete the repairs that are found to be necessary,” said a spokesperson for Edjericon’s office.
“We are thankful that the GNWT understood that some of their resources were needed in these initial stages to quickly kickstart efforts to gather a fully costed picture of what repairs were needed for the dozens of severely ageing private housing units across the Akaitcho region.”
The spokesperson said Dettah Chief Ernest Betsina and Ndılǫ Chief Fred Sangris would lead “strong advocacy work” to secure federal funding for repairs once they have a “detailed, costed proposal” driven by the home inspections, adding that similar efforts are under way in Łútsël K’é and Fort Resolution.
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On Facebook, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation said members who own a home and would like a free home inspection should contact the office to register.
Information for Łútsël K’é and Fort Resolution homeowners was not immediately available.
Edjericon’s office said “private housing inspections are due to begin within weeks once partnerships with independent contractors are set in place.”
