Housing NWT reviewing how it delivers programs in communities

The territorial government plans to review the way local housing organizations deliver different types of housing in communities.

Social housing – sometimes called public housing – offers deeply subsidized housing with rent ranging from four to 19 percent of a household’s income, according to documents in a Housing NWT request for proposals to run the review.

By contrast, the organization said in its latest annual report, most places in Canada offer social housing at 25 to 28 percent of a household’s income.

The review will evaluate the GNWT’s current system, where local housing organizations – and one Indigenous government – deliver social housing with support, oversight and monitoring from Housing NWT.

It will examine governance, oversight, accountability, program delivery, funding models, financial management and financial sustainability.

The review will propose changes to make the current model better or models the GNWT could adopt instead. Part of this work will include looking at what other jurisdictions are doing, particularly Indigenous-led housing delivery models.

There is a budget of $175,000. Housing NWT expects the work to begin in January 2027 and finish at the end of October that year.

There are a few types of NWT local housing organization:

• housing authorities, created by ministerial order and managed by a board the minister appoints;
• housing associations, which are community-based non-profits managed by a board the community chooses; and
• in one instance, an Indigenous government administers social housing.

Housing NWT has district offices that manage programming for Colville Lake, Enterprise, Kakisa and Wekweètì. The Fort Simpson Housing Authority also manages programming for Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e and Wrigley.

Housing NWT said the review is motivated by a fall 2025 auditor general’s report.

That report found the territory did not ensure residents most in need of shelter had equitable access to social housing and did not ensure units were well-maintained.

In response to the findings, the organization committed to conduct an external review of the structure and governance of local housing organizations, as well as its monitoring processes, by October 2027.

Housing NWT said other work is ongoing to address the audit’s findings. The auditor general’s office told MLAs in March 2026 it was satisfied with the organization’s commitments.

According to Housing NWT’s annual report, 900 households were on the waitlist for social housing as of March 31, 2026.