Home Purchase Program

Overview

If you are a first-time homebuyer, the home purchase program can help you purchase a modest home by providing a portion of your down payment.

Available Funding

A forgivable loan is available for down payment assistance to support the purchase of a home.

The forgiveness period of the loan is dependent on the amount of assistance being provided:

Loans not exceeding $10,000 will be completely forgiven after one (1) year.
Loans of $10,001 to $20,000 will be forgiven two (2) years from the anniversary date.
Loans of $20,001 to $30,000 will be forgiven there (3) years from the anniversary date.

The applicant will receive either 5% of the home purchase price or Maximum Construction Costs (MCC), whichever is less.

The assistance is based on the applicant’s income, family size, the community Core Need Income Thresholds (CNIT) as well as the Maximum Construction Cost (MCC) for the Zone the applicant(s) resides in. The client is responsible to obtain their portion of project financing, through an approved financial institution if necessary.

Deadline

Applications are open.

Eligibility

This funding is open to residents of the NWT who:

are over 19 years of age
have lived in the NWT for three years; with one continuous year in the community of application prior to approval. (The one continuous year in the community requirement may be waived for students returning to their communities upon completion of their studies.)
have a modest income, below the CNIT for their community
can secure their portion of financing through an approved financial institution
have enough income to pay for all costs associated with homeownership including operating & maintenance costs, insurance, land lease fees, property taxes and Home Purchase Program Policies and municipal user fees without spending more than 32% of their gross income
are first-time home buyers and reside in Zone A communities (Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Inuvik and Yellowknife).
are purchasing property that is on titled land or long-term residential lease (30 years)

This funding is NOT able to be provided to people who:

are on income assistance as a primary source of income
are in arrears with Housing NWT
currently own a home anywhere

How to Apply

To apply, you will need to contact your District Office by phone.

Client counselling is required at all stages during the application process. In addition to the education components, it is necessary to provide applicants with relevant information regarding the Homeownership Initiative Agreement and the responsibilities associated with being a client and a homeowner.

All applicants are required to complete an application form with a representative from Housing NWT or its designated agent. Applicants are not permitted to complete the application on their own.

Contact

Housing NWT
5102-50 Ave.
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P6
General Inquiries
NWTHC_Comms@gov.nt.ca

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