Northern Pathways to Housing Complex Opens in Behchokǫ̀

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, June 19, 2019

Michael V. McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Alfred Moses, Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) and Addressing Homelessness, are pleased to announce the opening of the Northern Pathways to Housing complex in Behchokǫ̀.

The NWTHC developed the Northern Pathways to Housing program to address homelessness in small communities outside Yellowknife. The program consists of partnership based projects with eligible community agencies. This project is jointly funded between CMHC and the NWTHC in partnership with the Behchokǫ̀ Friendship Centre.

The building is composed of four furnished bachelor units. Northern Pathways seeks to improve participants’ social and economic well-being and independence, and to create new service pathways and working relationships with community service providers to address and end homelessness for the residents.

The goals are to stabilize individuals with housing, and work with communities to develop wraparound systems of support that encourage integration of individuals into the community, consistent with the Housing First program philosophy.

Quotes:

“Rethinking surplus housing and providing innovative housing solutions that are unique to the North are a key part of how our Government is providing assistance to those who need it most here in Northwest Territories and in all corners of the country. We are committed to making communities stronger through projects like this.”
— Michael V. McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories

“We want to see people successful in housing. Working with community groups to develop, design and implement supportive housing will help to address homelessness in our smaller communities and lead to more long-term success in housing for some of our most vulnerable residents.”
— Alfred Moses, Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and Homelessness

Quick facts:

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, and the Government of Northwest Territories, through NWTHC, jointly contributed $380,000 to this project under the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement. The NWTHC has invested $250,000 into this project, with an additional $130,000 being provided through CMHC.
The NWTHC is providing single dwelling housing units in three small communities including Behchokǫ̀ in the NWT under Northern Pathways to Housing. The Northern Pathways to Housing program also includes a four-person unit in Fort Simpson and a project that opened last winter in Aklavik.
The design of the Northern Pathways to Housing unit in Behchokǫ̀ includes four single dwelling units.
The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.
The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors, to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.
To address homelessness in small communities outside of Yellowknife, NWTHC developed the Northern Pathways to Housing Program. The goals of the program are to stabilize individuals with housing, and work with communities to develop wraparound systems of support to encourage integration of individuals into the community.

Associated links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

The NWTHC has a mandate to ensure there is a sufficient supply of affordable, adequate and suitable housing to meet the needs of Northwest Territories residents. The NWTHC conducts its business throughout the housing continuum, which includes homelessness supports, social housing, homeownership supports and homeownership repair, and market rentals. Lowering the high cost of living in the NWT through the provision of safe, affordable housing is a key priority of the Government of the Northwest Territories. For more information, please call 1-844-NWT-HOME (1-844-698-4663) or visit www.nwthc.gov.nt.ca.

Media contacts:

Valérie Glazer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
819-654-5546
valerie.glazer@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Leonard Catling
Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
604-787-1787
LCATLING@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Cara Bryant
Communications Advisor
Strategic Planning, Policy and Communications
Northwest Territories Housing Corporation
Phone: 867-767-9328 ex. 85023
Fax: 867-873-9426