Timeline
Timeline
1970 - Housing Authorities are created in Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik and Yellowknife to take advantage of the National Housing Act, sponsored public housing programs, to build apartments, single-family dwellings, and seniors housing.
1972 – Northwest Territories Housing Ordinance is passed by the Territorial Council, establishing the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC).
1974 – The NWT Housing Corporation becomes fully operational on January 1st, with a housing inventory consisting of 2,600 units built by the federal and territorial governments between 1965 and 1973.
The affairs of the NWTHC are conducted by a board of eight Directors, seven of who are appointed by the Commissioner, and one Managing Director appointed by the Commissioner on the recommendation of the Board. The Managing Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Corporation.
The head office of the NWTHC is located in Northern United Place in Yellowknife.
1974-1979 - 757 “Weber” units prefabricated in Saskatchewan are built for social housing in the NWT.
1978 – One of the NWT’s first housing funding programs is established - The Small Settlement Home Assistance Grant (SSHAG) Program provides a grant of $10,000 to allow families from small communities to build their own homes from local materials. This is the predecessor of the popular HAP program.
1980 –The NWTHC sponsors a log-building training course in Fort Simpson
1981 – Over the years, the size of the Board of Directors increased to provide better Regional representation. In 1981, The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Ordinance is amended to “give the organization a more corporate appearance and to strengthen senior management so the objectives of the Board of Directors can be more effectively realized”. The amendments include changing the title of Managing Director to President, and a further increase in the size of the board to 11 directors.
1982-83 - The SSHAG program becomes the Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP), and the forgivable loan level is increased to $30,000.
1985 - The NWTHC adopts a policy of “stick-built” units to provide jobs and training to local people during the construction phase.
1987 – A design team travels to 20 communities collecting ideas on the type of houses which should be built.
For the first time, all new public housing units are built to the R-2000 standard, making the NWTHC the first provincial/territorial agency in Canada to meet the standard.
1990 - The 30-unit Stanley Isiah Senior Citizens Complex opens in Fort Simpson.
1991 – The HAP program ends, replaced by a range of programs to help a broader range of people become homeowners
The Board of Directors is replaced by the “Advisory Committee on Social Housing”, which is made up of six Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
1992 - GNWT Community Transfer Initiative begins for LHOs and Community Governments to gain more authority and accountability for housing programs.
1995 - New partnership agreements encourage more decision-making to be assumed by LHOs at the community level.
New Corporate Direction, Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles.
New rent scale for social housing is approved by the Legislative Assembly.
1998 – Plan 2000 was launched to improve housing conditions for up to 2000 NWT families by the year 2000. The strategy aimed at upgrading existing housing, getting more northerners into homeownership, and promoting the construction of new housing.
The total delivery of Plan 2000 as of March 31, 1999, was 1332 new units.
1999 – The Division of Nunavut from the Northwest Territories April 1st.
The assets and liabilities relating to Nunavut are allocated to the newly-created Nunavut Housing Corporation.
The Number of districts in the Western NWT expands to five – with the addition of Sahtu and Nahendeh.
2002 - The Universal Partnership Agreement is implemented to increase decision-making at the local level by allowing community governments and organizations wanting to assume delivery of NWTHC programs and services.
2003 – The Tłı̨chǫ Agreement is signed on August 25th, 2003. The agreement includes a law-making authority for the Tłı̨chǫ Government in the area of social housing.
2007 – The Affordable Housing Initiative is implemented and sees increased housing delivery across the NWT. The initiative utilizes a collaborative approach to achieve its goal of approximately 500 dwellings constructed over 3 years.
2008 – The development of Framework for Action 2008-2011 is created and is the culmination of an effort to rejuvenate and reshape the NWTHC to meet its goals and objectives more effectively.
2010 - NWTHC co-hosted the Northern Housing Forum with CMHC in Inuvik from March 22-25.
2012 – A temporary moratorium on evictions due to arrears is instated during the winter – 54 tenants take advantage of the temporary eviction postponement to catch up on arrears.
2014 –The NWTHC spent over $5.3 million on homeownership capital delivery, including new construction and repairs to existing assets.
2015 –Housing Corporation begins a three-year plan to build 100 market rental units in communities with limited market rental options.
Lynn’s Place opens in Yellowknife.
2016 – The Joe Greenland Seniors Complex opens in Aklavik.
2018 – The Community Housing Support Initiative pilot begins.
Fuel Tank Replacement Initiative begins.
Seniors Aging in place retrofit program begins.
2020 - The RCMP and NWTHC reach an agreement on the delivery of 45 market rental housing units, with lease revenue used to offset declining CMHC operational funding for public housing.
The first Community Housing Plan is signed with Whatı̀ on January 20th.
2021 – The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the Housing Corporation, along with its partners, to take unprecedented actions to make sure vital services were still delivered to the people of the NWT.
2022 – Housing Corporation initiates comprehensive renewal based on direction from the Government of the Northwest Territories
50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Housing Corporation