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PEHDZEH KI/WRIGLEY - For Chief Darcy E. Moses, the future of housing in Wrigley has recently started to look brighter.

Housing has been a topic of constant concern for the community and the band leadership has spent a lot of time lobbying MLAs and staff with the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to address the situation, Moses said.

Elder Fred Williams stands beside a wood stove, the only source of heat in his house that was built in 1964. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

"The housing here is pretty poor," he said.

Within the past month, Moses said discussions have progressed with the Housing Corporation and effort is being made to address some of the issues.

"They're supporting what we need for our housing for the community," Moses said.

One of the main issues in Wrigley is the poor condition of many of the houses.

In the past year, two elders had to move to Fort Simpson because of the state of their houses. In one case there was no running water in the house and a wood stove was the only source of heat. The second house had a rotten foundation and the washroom facilities were almost falling through the floor, Moses said.

Other elders and community members are still living in houses dating back to the 1960s, which have a variety of problems including a lack of running water and sewer systems, he said.

Elder Fred Williams lives in a house built in 1964. It has no running water and only a wood stove for heat. For a washroom Williams, 81, uses an outhouse.

"I'd be nice if I had a furnace," said Williams using Moses as a translator.

People have asked for funding from the Housing Corporation to help repair their homes under the Contributing Assistance for Repairs and Enhancement (CARE) program and although lots of paperwork was done few results have been seen, Moses said.

Under the program, the Housing Corporation and the First Nation to split the cost running the program.

Leadership in Wrigley has also been discussing ways to address the other major concerns offering suitable housing for professionals.

Teachers, RCMP officers and nurses are the most important people to have in the community but without suitable housing they won't come, said Moses.

The Housing Corporation has offered to allow the community to use two of their units for a year to house teachers and RCMP until the community can develop their own units, said Moses. The community is looking at partnership options that would allow the band to construct and own buildings that could be rented for that purpose.

"We're trying to find community based solutions to address some of the community's concerns," said Chris Hewitt, the district director for the corporation.

One possibility includes creating a local housing authority to manage public housing units.

A housing authority could develop its own rental units to address housing needs for people like teachers, said Hewitt.

To help address the home repair issue in Wrigley the corporation has reallocated funding that was going to be used to construct a new unit. The funds will now be given out under the CARE program.

However, Hewitt added not everyone who applies for CARE funding is eligible.

"There's a perception that if they apply the work will be done," he said.

Once a person applies their house is given a condition rating and they are put through the prioritization selection system. Household income is a factor and people can be screened out on that basis.

Any health and safety concerns are given top consideration but if the amount of repairs needed is uneconomical the applicant won't be chosen, said Hewitt.