Five Fort McPherson homes have been selected for upgrades that reduce fuel consumption and increase savings through a pilot project led by Dinjii Zhuh Solutions.
Of the 36 private homes that completed energy audits in the community, “all of them” need retrofitting, according to Dinjii Zhuh project lead Trina Nerysoo.
An energy advisor who conducted the audits selected the five homes to participate in the project, said Nerysoo. The five are considered representative of the various housing needs in the community.
One resident is also using the opportunity to gain apprenticeship hours in trades work.
The homes are receiving insulation upgrades and new windows and doors. Three are being given a new roof. Some also require levelling and padding on blocks.
The work began over the summer and should conclude by the end of October, according to Nerysoo.
“Dinjii Zhuh Solutions is trying to lower people’s housing cost,” Nerysoo told Cabin Radio of the Fort McPherson-based company’s aims.
“We’re focused on the energy part, on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fuel consumption.”
According to a 2020 housing assessment of Fort McPherson, 75 homes – 31 percent of the community’s housing stock – required “major repairs.”
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The cost of living means housing upkeep is out of reach for many homeowners, even with financial incentives and rebates.
“Some people quoted up to $1,500 per month on heat, water, and electricity bills alone,” the housing assessment reads. “At least one homeowner has lost their home because they couldn’t afford cost of living and maintenance.”
By improving home insulation, Nerysoo hopes homeowners will see a drastic decrease in fuel consumption, especially when heating their homes over the winter.
“As a homeowner, I’m very grateful and humble that I’m able to get this. I’ve never been able to access any funding at any time in my life because I’m always working,” said Gladys Alexie, one of five participants in the pilot project.
“It was just amazing that I was able to be selected to have my house done.”
Alexie says she bought her 50-year-old house from the housing corporation in 1986. She now lives there with her partner and her girls, Nevaeh, 13, and Taylor, 16.
She recently noticed her roof was leaking, with water dripping down her walls. When Alexie applied for funding to repair it, she was denied because she “makes too much money” as a language teacher at Chief Julius School.
Now, through the pilot project, Alexie’s roof is being replaced.
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“It’s something I’ve long wished for and needed for my girls, because I’d like them to be in a safe, warm place, and not have to worry,” Alexie said. “Now, we’ll be OK.”
Still, Alexie says she’s not the only one being denied funding for home repairs because of their income.
Nerysoo says the key to a successful initiative is community ownership, where residents can use their knowledge to determine needs and apply solutions that work locally.
“Government has to have a better system to work with people like us,” said Nerysoo.
“Government has to work with organizations that are trying to carry out these projects and if that’s their goal” – net-zero emissions – “then support us. They say you need community support. We have community support.”
Helping Elders
While the initiative has community-wide potential, Nerysoo says home retrofits are most valuable to Elders who often do not qualify for other home repair programs.
To qualify for a rebate, residents have to hire a contractor upfront and pay for materials, Nerysoo said. This doesn’t work for many Elders who would not be able to carry out the logistics or afford the lump sum.
“There’s lots of people in the community who are homeowners but they’re older, they’re on a fixed income. They’re not going to have money to buy new windows,” Nerysoo said.
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“Ask an Elder: ‘Could you afford that?’ No way – there’s no way. They already go through enough. Let us help them to live in a more comfortable home.”
Dinjii Zhuh Solutions is now seeking more funding to expand the project. This first generation of retrofitted homes will cost around $1 million to complete.
Once that work is done, Nerysoo says the company will have a better sense of the cost breakdown that it can use when applying for further funding.
“Right now, we’re working on a five year plan to have 20 homes done every year,” Nerysoo said, adding that Dinjii Zhuh would also like to increase the number of trade apprentices who participate.
“To me, that’s the biggest satisfaction that I’m seeing out of this,” she said. “You’re actually helping someone.”