Today, Habitat for Humanity Northwest Territories had a Groundbreaking Ceremony to kick off construction for their latest and largest build to date – four units (two duplexes) in the city of Yellowknife!
“We’ll have an opportunity for four more local families to be homeowners,” Alayna Ward Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity N.W.T. told True North FM.
Representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Housing NWT, the City of Yellowknife and MLA Shauna Morgan for Yellowknife North were in attendance, along with MP-elect Rebecca Alty. The ground-breaking ceremony also included a $50,000 cheque from Elks Lodge #314 towards the build.
Ward said the units are scheduled for an October move-in and said the organization is now accepting applications for the new homes.
Anyone who would like more information about eligibility criteria and how to apply can head to Habitat for Humanity N.W.T.’s website.
The units will have three bedrooms and two and a half baths, said Ward. “And they’re all very much energy efficient. They made all the standards that we required for homes in the North.”
“We encourage everyone to apply,” said Ward. “We’d like nothing more than to have a lot of applicants to make sure that we’re putting the people that need to get into these homes,” she urged.
“It’s obviously very exciting and encouraging. I mean, this group has been very busy. We were just at another opening for a Habitat for Humanity house earlier in the winter and now we’re having a groundbreaking for another. So, clearly this group is getting stuff done, which is a great example to see that when people just sort of put their heads down and figure things out, things can happen, things get to move forward and things can move quickly. So I think that’s definitely a model and inspiration,” MLA Shauna Morgan told True North FM.
“It’s really exciting and we know that it’s been life-changing for the homeowners,” said Ward. “It’s been a total life changer for a lot of them, finally being able to save some money and the kids being able to have their friends over. It’s harder when you’re living in a smaller rental place.”
Tiffany Davidson, manager of homeowner services with Habitat for Humanity, said the organization partners with the families all the way through from application to ownership and onwards.
“So that’s anything from budgeting all the way through to home maintenance, making sure that you stay on top of your finances throughout the life of your mortgage and things like that. So mostly, that’s what it is,” said Davidson.
Davidson explained that successful applicants also get involved in the community as volunteers, which is a requirement to complete 500 hours of service.
“That can be with family or friends and that is very tailored to family,” she explained.
Ward explained that the program is a kind of “stepping stone” into traditional home ownership.
Because it’s so expensive to build, especially in the North, the organization has transitioned to using more to using modular style homes.
“It’s very expensive to build here and we found that using modular, and also (because of) the short construction season, there’s a real shortage of trades here, too. Everyone who is a skilled tradesperson is always really busy during the build season,” said Ward.
Finding land is also quite challenging, which is why partnerships with organizations like Housing NWT are so important.
Housing NWT donated the land for the homes being built by Habitat for Humanity, and assisted with some of the capital funding and costs.
Housing N.W.T. contributed the land along with $400,000 for site development and an additional $200,000 for the construction costs of the two duplexes.
Michael Saturnino, the associate deputy minister of Housing Sustainability and Partnerships with Housing N.W.T., also attended the groundbreaking and affirmed the strength of their partnership with Habitat.
“The way that we see it, I guess, it’s not just about building four new homes. It’s about building dreams and strengthening the community, Habitat for Humanity’s dedication to providing affordable homes. And we’re proud to be a partner in these projects.”
