Guided by Housing Northwest Territories’ (NWT) renewal strategy, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is developing seniors’ duplexes using an enhanced approach that involves increased collaboration with community members.
The GNWT has been involved in a collaborative process with members of Fort McPherson, Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, Tulita and Behchokǫ̀ on the design and development of five new seniors’ public housing duplexes.
In November 2022, Housing NWT staff consulted with the communities for preliminary discussions on the design of the duplexes, considering the unique housing needs of seniors in each community. Community members then travelled to Yellowknife for a full day of discussion with Housing NWT staff and contractors, brainstorming design development and refinement.
Supporting the GNWT’s commitment to enable seniors to age in place with dignity, the goal of this collaborative process is to produce good quality, sustainable housing for seniors that is suitable for their lifestyle. The duplexes are planned to be completed by March 31, 2024.
Moving forward, the GNWT will use collaborative processes in the design and development of future housing projects. Where funding arrangements to Housing NWT permit, multi-year construction plans will be developed to allow more time for meaningful design input by Indigenous governments, local housing organizations, and other stakeholders.
