Housing provides the foundation for healthy communities: mental and physical health, family, education, employment, culture, language, and economic security, are all predicated on housing stability. GNWT services that focus on education, wellness, culture, and language, are often unsuccessful because the target audience is precariously housed.
Furthermore, the NWT housing crisis hinders our ability to attract and retain new residents. From nurses and teachers to students and service sector staff, affordable housing is a significant obstacle to relocating to the NWT – especially for those with young families.
In the words of the president of the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC):
“We know that far too many people in Canada are struggling to find shelter and affordable housing that meets their needs. We need to come together, now more than ever, to build shelters for the homeless, support families in housing need, and deliver more homes for Canadians.”— Romy Bowers, President and CEO, CMHC 1
Seniors, sadly, often bore the brunt of the housing crisis. For a short CBC video highlighting the severity of the issue, please click here. Not isolated to NWT smaller communities, 35% of Yellowknife seniors cannot currently afford their rent.
I am committed to addressing the Northern housing crisis through a number of innovative solutions, including:
1. In collaboration with the City of Yellowknife, incentivize the development of ancillary units such as laneway housing and secondary suites.
Diamond Mine closures over the next decade will undoubtedly impact the housing market in Yellowknife. Until then, however, we are in dire need of additional units. Ancillary units do not require the capital investment or new land acquisition when compared to the construction of new homes and apartment complexes.
2. Reinstate the GNWT Home Ownership Assistance Program (HAP) for communities outside of Yellowknife.
3. Waive tuition fees for all trades programming at Aurora College.
There is currently a skilled labour shortage across Canada which is particularly acute in the North. The lack of skilled labour has driven up construction costs and delays project completion times. We can no longer depend on southern labour to complete northern projects! We can learn from the Government of Ontario who recently announced free apprenticeship programming province wide.5
4. Create a mobile GNWT Housing Unit tasked with repairing public housing throughout the territory.
The current cost estimate for public housing ‘priority repairs’ is $38 million. The projected 20-year housing deficit territory wide is estimated at over one billion dollars.6 Every community in the NWT has public housing that is in dire need of repair. Many of these houses are repairable but the window to complete this work is shrinking. Sadly, there are Northerners who are living in abandoned public housing with no heat, water, or electricity.7 We can do better! A mobile housing unit comprised of Northerners from across the NWT could complete housing essential repairs, gain valuable skills, and stimulate local economies.
5. Provide targeted financial supports for homeowners whose primary residence has passed its useful life cycle (i.e. mobile homes built before 1980).
Many homes in Yellowknife, and the Frame Lake riding specifically, were not designed for the harsh realities of Northern winters. And they were certainly not designed to last upwards of 50 years. Under the guidance of the Arctic Energy Alliance, I am proposing significant financial supports to homeowners who own dwellings that are passed their useful life cycle. In combining existing territorial and federal supports of non-repayable grants and interest free loans, complete home replacements would become viable for many Yellowknifers.
In addition to alleviating our current housing crisis, this proposal would provide local employment opportunities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create resilience to a changing climate.
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