Fort McPherson senior citizens have new housing options after the opening of a new senior’s supported independent living nineplex in the MacKenzie Delta community.
Alfred Moses, Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation (NWTHC) and for Addressing Homelessness, says that the new housing provides supports for seniors to remain in their community as they age.
A news release from the government states that the new building was designed in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Services and included input from the community.
The design will facilitate supportive independent living for seniors, allowing them to remain in their home community and be near their families, while enabling access to important support services.
The seniors nineplex includes modern features that will assist residents in their day-to-day living.
Some of these supports include no-step entrances to suites, wider doorways, a main floor bathroom, two barrier-free units, a caretaker’s unit, and common space which can be used for the delivery of health and social services programming.
With the population of seniors in the Northwest Territories set to increase in coming years, the housing corporation is investing in further seniors’ independent housing facilities that will support “aging in place”.
“The Housing Corporation and the GNWT is committed to helping our residents stay in their home communities for as long as possible. The opening of this new senior’s facility will allow us to make that a reality for residents of Fort McPherson,” Moses stated.
Quick Facts:
- The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to support elders to live in their own homes for as long as possible and ensure adequate supports are available for those who can no longer do so by building more seniors’ supported independent living units.
- As a part of this commitment, the GNWT has designed five of these seniors nineplex units that support aging-in-place. These units are located in Aklavik, Fort Liard, Fort Good Hope, Fort McPherson, and Whati. All are complete and operational, except Fort Good Hope which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2019.
- On August 21, 2017, the Minister and Officials of the NWTHC attended a community ceremonial contract signing and informational meeting.
- In August 2017, the NWTHC signed a negotiated contract with PJK Joint Venture, a new northern contractor local to Fort McPherson, to complete the nineplex seniors’ facility.
- Local residents were employed to construct this facility, through PJK Joint Venture, a new northern contractor local to Fort McPherson.
