N.W.T. wants to use federal housing funds to demolish derelict homes
CBC
An N.W.T. deputy minister says the territorial government is hoping to use federal housing money to clear derelict homes from communities.
The structures are falling into disrepair, and some contain dangerous materials like asbestos.
Gary Brennan, the deputy minister of the N.W.T. department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), spoke at a territorial committee meeting with MLAs on Tuesday. He said the territory was granted $74 million from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, but the funds are not allowed to be used for demolition of derelict houses. Brennan said that's something the territory hopes to change.
Multiple community leaders say that demolishing derelict homes would help with the territory's housing crunch, by making space for new homes.
However, clearing those buildings is more complicated than just getting funding.
Bertha Rabesca Zoe, Behchokǫ's incoming chief, said her community has structures that are falling into disrepair.
"If some of these homes could be cleared, sure there would be available lots for additional homes," she said.
Rabesca Zoe said the lots and structures are privately owned and the community needs to work with those owners.
Rabesca Zoe said Behchokǫ is also taking other initiatives to address its housing issues, including working on a subdivision for new homes.
Derelict structures have also been a concern in Inuvik. This past spring the town council ended up buying up some lots and clearing them so that private developers could then purchase the lots to build new houses.
Demolishing and replacing derelict homes is also something Fort Good Hope is looking at.
"There is some houses there, structures standing there, that are old," said Collin Pierrot, chief of Fort Good Hope.
Pierrot said the community government has reached out to the owners of some of the structures to ask if they would be interested in having them removed, but he said he hasn't received a response yet.
Another issue Fort Good Hope faces with clearing these structures is the community's limited space in its landfill for waste, Pierrot said. There's been some talk of building a new landfill as the current one is overfull.
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