Guided by Housing Northwest Territories’ (NWT) renewal strategy, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will increase funding levels for most of its homeownership repair programs.
The following programs have increased maximum funding from $10,000 to $15,000 per eligible applicant:
– Emergency Repair Program
– Fuel Tank Replacement Program
– Seniors Aging in Place Program
The Preventative Maintenance Program has increased maximum funding from $3,000 to $5,000 per eligible applicant.
These changes will enable more residents to access adequate repair funding as the cost of home repairs continues to increase. No changes have been made to the Mobility Modifications program, which provides assistance to existing homeowners with a household member living with a disability by supporting modifications that promote continued independent living.
The Major Home Repair Program, which previously provided up to $50,000 in assistance for home repairs to clients 19 years or older, changed its eligibility criteria to seniors only, enabling more funding to be distributed to the other repair programs while supporting one of the territory’s most vulnerable populations – seniors.
These changes strengthen the GNWT’s focus on preventative, maintenance and emergency repairs so that homeowners can potentially avoid the need for major repairs in the future.
Homeownership repair programs are available to seniors on fixed incomes and residents 19 years of age or older who have lived in the NWT for three years with low to modest incomes as outlined in the Core Need Income Threshold for their community. Eligible clients receive assistance in the form of forgivable loans to subsidize the cost of the repairs to their existing home. To fill out an application, residents need to call their Housing NWT District Office.
Over the next few months, Housing NWT will announce other strategic renewal changes that are focused on increasing the wellbeing of individuals and communities by providing fair access to quality housing support for people most in need.
