Opportunities for NWT residents to pursue the goal of homeownership are expanding as increasing the number of affordable homes and reducing core housing need was identified by the Mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly as a key priority.
One of the actions identified under this priority is to transition individuals or families to homeownership through the sale of units or lease-to-own agreements for existing housing units.
Paulie Chinna, the Minister Responsible for NWT Housing Corporation (NWTHC) says they will be transitioning its inventory of detached public housing units into homes.
“New homeowners will have full access to the NWTHC’s repair programs, including access to building supplies and services from Local Housing Organizations in communities where they are not available.”
Through the new Lease-to-Own policy, the NWTHC will support expanding homeownership through either the conversion of their homeownership rental portfolio into ownership, or through the sale of public housing.
The program will be available to all income earning families that are residing in a detached public housing unit and can afford the cost of operating and maintaining their own home.
The NWTHC is reaching out to tenants to inform them of the opportunities to provide them with an opportunity to transition to homeownership.
Currently, the NWTHC has seven units in the process of being sold in Behchokǫ̀. Chinna says the units will be in good condition and healthy and safe to occupy.
