Eighteen new affordable modular homes will be built across the four Tłı̨chǫ communities with funding from the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative.
N.W.T. MP Michael McLeod said on Monday $3.9 million will be provided to construct the homes, which will then be given to individuals and families.
A breakdown of how many houses will go to each community, and the size of each unit, was not immediately available.
The Rapid Housing Initiative, run by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, is designed to quickly build homes to address needs across the country.
Neither the federal nor Tłı̨chǫ governments specified whether the $3.9 million announced on Monday is part of an existing $60-million N.W.T.-specific carve-out from the Rapid Housing Initiative, the spending of which was first announced in March. That $60 million was said in March to be funding 126 units across the N.W.T.
The Tłı̨chǫ units have a planned completion date of March 2022, though McLeod said some challenges have been identified.
Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief George Mackenzie said the money will help the housing crisis the communities face, but more still needs to be done.
“Affordable, suitable housing is a top priority for our government, and we are committed to working with our partners to help find solutions to the severe housing crisis plaguing the entire region,” Mackenzie said.
“It is important for us to work together in unity to help each other improve the housing situation, to address the crucial critical housing issues in our region, to build stronger communities.”
Mackenzie said many homes in the region need to be repaired. He hopes to more work in the future will focus on repairing existing buildings.
— Sarah Sibley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio