Shelter - New Home Construction 

THE PRESENT STATE

Housing in Canada can be divided into four categories:

  • Shelter/Transitional Housing
  • Public Housing
  • Below-Market Housing
  • Market Housing

Throughout the northern territories, many families can’t afford market housing.

The supply of below-market available properties is too small in many communities, forcing families who could afford them to remain in public housing, causing a backlog of those waiting to get into them.

Federal and Territorial Governments are working hard to make more funding available for all types of housing. But funds are limited, and the funds that are available are largely being used to build public housing at full retail prices.

Data from the 2021 census show 53% of Nunangat families living in overcrowded conditions. This has only improved by 1.2% since 2016, showing that, unfortunately, the current fixes aren’t working.

 

In Whitehorse, Yukon, a 2020 report issued by APTN showed only a 2.4% vacancy rate, leading to bidding wars for limited housing options. People are paying up to $1700 monthly just to rent a basement.

 

A 2021 report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) found housing affordability to be a serious challenge in Yukon, particularly in Whitehorse, where "market options are out of reach for some households without financial assistance.“  In fact, the report found nearly 20 per cent of all households in Whitehorse could not secure market housing without some form of assistance in 2019. As of December 2021, there were 443 people on the housing waitlist in Whitehorse, according to the Yukon Housing Corporation, a stark increase from 2016 when there were 114 clients on the list.

A study by NWT Bureau of Statistics shows 42% of residents in the NWT have major problems with affording housing and overcrowding. Further, 20% of households in Behchkoko, Colville Lake, and Hay River Dene Reserve had six or more people under one roof and had high rates of suitability issues.

 

A 2022 report from the ITK estimated that $3 Billion is needed over the next decade to both repair existing housing and create sufficient new housing to eliminate overcrowding.

 

The 2022 Federal Budget included just $150 Million for 2022-24 to address housing and infrastructure needs.

 

New housing supply in Hay River is lower than it has been in 60 years. Insufficient housing is a barrier to community socio-economic development as it limits employment opportunities for professionals and temporary workers. Schools and hospitals remain understaffed due to a lack of housing in the community. A lack of contractors and high costs of hiring and building materials are significant barriers to housing development and home ownership. Lack of housing for trades contractors is an issue that further exacerbates housing challenges. There is also a lack of suitable housing for seniors in the community, which forces many residents to leave the community as they age, separating families and friends.

 

In April 2023, the Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC) contracted a company to build public 150 public housing units for $105.3 Million, that NHC will provide as subsidized rentals to families who can’t afford to buy housing. These homes will be built over 7 years. While a great start, they are all public housing and only provide 150 homes toward the 3000-home goal.

2021 Census data showed 13% of First Nations peoples living in Yukon are in overcrowded housing conditions. 20% are living in dwellings in need of major repairs.

Click here for links to read further:

CBC News Report on Housing Crisis in Nunavut

Nunatsiaq Report on Housing Crisis

CBC Report on Yukon Housing

THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE

Promise for the North is a charity that can work with each community to permanently solve the housing issues! We will:

  • Obtain government grants to support construction and seek donations and sponsorships to greatly increase each community's construction capabilities.
  • Provide both temporary and permanent buildings to eliminate overcrowding.
  • Quickly acquire, transport, and install modular buildings, at a charitable rate, to provide office, commercial, or residential spaces immediately.
  • Acquire building materials at a charitable rate, to support a massive construction effort. 
  • Work with cargo shippers to get the material to the communities before the construction season begins, again at charitable rates.
  • Employ certified companies to build the homes and pay them to employ local residents as apprentices to provide jobs and much needed skills to help the community become self-sustaining.

We can make this work!

  • It starts with donors and sponsors providing critical funding to help communities build these desperately needed homes.
  • It continues with suppliers willing to provide their materials and labour at charitable rates, shippers willing to help get the material to the community, and the government recognising their contributions.
  • It takes shape with communities asking for homes to be built for their citizens.

 

Let's work together to conquer the housing crisis across every community in the North!