The Mary Murphy seniors’ home – Yellowknife Housing Authority’s oldest housing asset – has boarded-up windows, cockroach problems and units in need of “ongoing” repairs, NWT housing officials say.
Bob Bies, boss of the Yellowknife Housing Authority, said the authority is working to keep the building “safe and livable for existing tenants” but the long-term plan is to move the tenants to Housing NWT’s new 50-unit social housing facility in 2027.
In an email to Cabin Radio, Bies said the authority is managing a “cockroach issue within the building.”
“The situation is being actively monitored, and we are taking a cautious approach before making additional units available for occupancy,” said Bies.
When Cabin Radio visited the home, two windows of the building were boarded up and a tree was leaning on the roof.
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Michael Dawodu, Housing NWT’s North Slave acting district director, said in a statement that windows may be boarded to “maintain the safety and security of the building while replacement materials are ordered and installed.”
The tree leaning on the roof has been assessed and “is not believed to have caused damage to the building,” said Dawodu.
Bies said the broken windows are only in vacant units and renovations on four of the five vacant units are expected to begin in September or October.
The remaining vacant unit of the 17 within the home is ready to be occupied, according to Dawodu.
