The Dene Nation has proposed a quicker, cheaper solution to the NWT housing crisis.
Earlier this week, it held a ribbon cutting ceremony in K’atlo’dechee First Nation for a one-berdroom show home built by Eagle Building Solutions.
The unit, known as the Jenna model, is just over 500 square feet and would cost about $150,000.
Now Dene Nation’s goal is to have similar units pop up in communities to try and address housing issues like overcrowding and homelessness.
Community input
“These houses are awesome,” says Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya. “The quality of the houses are exceeding the standards… This is a direct response, working with the communities, working with businesses and there are so many opportunities, that it’s gonna be a tough one for the government to turn a blind eye to it.”
Dene Nation has been working for the past two years on its housing strategy to incorporate concerns from communities. Eagle Building Solutions, a compnay based in Grande Prairie Alta., was also part of some of those conversations, says Kirk Fowler, a sales representative with the company.
“We went to communities to talk to people on the ground about what problems they are having with their homes in the north, from freezing pipes, problems with sewage, etc. And we took that to our engineering group, and we came up with some of the solutions in their design,” says Fowler.
Some of those issues came to the forefront during this spring’s flooding.
“This spring’s housing crisis across the north and the impact of the natural disasters on communities amplify critical housing issues,” reads a news release.
Fowler says some of the designs can include their own water and sewage tanks, and so residents are not reliant on municipal connections. He suggested this could be useful in Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River if leaders rebuild parts of the communities in new locations, on higher ground.
Government buy in
The first unit built by Eagle Building Solutions took about five months, but Kirk Fowler, a sales representative with the company, says production can be ramped up to produce the units within 10 to 12 days.
There are plans to bring a second show unit, the Arctic model, to sit on the Aurora Ford lot in Yellowknife in the coming weeks.
The two-bedroom unit will then be given to an Elder from either Tthek’éhdélį (Jean Marie River) First Nation or Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation who lost their home in this spring’s flood. The home will be presented during the Dene National Assembly in September. Leaders and Elders councils from both communities are submitting names to be drawn for the chance to win the new home.
Eagle Building Solutions is also donating $10,000 for groceries and assistance to help with flood recovery.
Chief Yakeleya says Dene Nation is in the early stages of a funding proposal to expand the program and build more of these homes. He said officials from the NWT Housing Corporation were visiting the show home in Hay River as part of the process.
“We really need the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government to buy into our Dene solution for our homes,” he said.
In the meantime, he says Dene Nation has secured short term funding to continue to develop its housing strategy.
