322 units under construction, 19 communities in ‘critical’ public housing need: NHC
Map | 322 housing units are under construction in all 25 communities
Lorne Kusugak, the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corp., announced updates to Nunavut 3000 at the fall sitting of the Legislative Assembly. (File photo by Arty Sarkisian)
A little more than two years after the Government of Nunavut announced its Nunavut 3000 housing plan, 394 units are complete and 322 units are under construction across the territory.
Nunatsiaq News spent several weeks working with Nunavut Housing Corp. staff to get detailed information about progress toward the $2.6-billion goal to build 3,000 units in Nunavut by 2030.
The data is compiled below in an interactive map.
The housing corporation is the recipient of the largest share of the GN’s 2025-26 capital spending plan, released Oct. 24, getting $109.7 million out of $353.8 million of estimated capital projects.
Finance Minister Lorne Kusugak gave an update on the total completed builds on Oct. 29 in the legislative assembly. The majority are public housing units, with 38 dedicated to staff housing.
“Housing is something that is near and dear to all our hearts,” Kusugak, who is also the minister responsible for Nunavut Housing Corp., said after MLAs questioned him on the progress of Nunavut 3000.
Nunavut 3000 was unveiled in October 2022.
Nunavut Housing Corp. and NCC Development Ltd. are directly responsible for construction of nearly half of all the planned homes, of which around 1,400 are to become public housing units.
The majority of the cost is paid for by the Nunavut government and Inuit associations, with $900 million coming from the private sector.
Approximately 900 units are to be co-investments between Nunavut Housing Corp. and partners such as Inuit organizations, not-for-profits, community organizations and private sector companies.
In December 2023, for example, trade students in Rankin Inlet turned over a public housing unit to Nunavut Housing Corp., which is included as part of Nunavut 3000.
In 19 out of 25 communities, the need for public housing was classified as “critical” by the housing corporation in its 2023-24 annual report.
The shortage is most severe in Kinngait, where the number of public housing units would have to increase by 89 per cent to have enough capacity for all the people on the housing wait lists. It’s followed by Rankin Inlet with a need for an 80 per cent increase.
Sanikiluaq and Grise Fiord are in the best shape, according to the report. Both are in need of a 29 per cent increase in the public housing stock.
“The previous government built a couple hundred houses. We’re building a couple hundred houses a year,” Kusugak said on Oct. 29.
“I know I’ve said we will stumble, we will fall, but we will get back up again and we will keep going.”
Seriously? It took several weeks to get this information? We’ve all heard of ‘Nunavut Time’ but this is ridiculous. And doesn’t even include information on the supposed 394 completed units.
Where are these units complete? I have a feeling this number is totally inflated and false to try to keep the embarrassing truth hidden because not a single unit in the Western Arctic / Kitikmeot is complete, not 1 to my knowledge when speaking to family.
Would love to hear from others on here if units have been completed and delivered in their respective communities. Are you guys actually seeing finished units in your respective communities?
Chairman: Thank you. Minister Kusugak.
Mr. Devereux: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll provide it from 2023.
Iqaluit units. There was 18 units in the spring of 2023. They’ve had the floor, walls and roof substantially done in the fall of 2024. That has been completed since November 2024.
Waiting for the comments from all the nay-sayers to dump on anything GN/NHC/NCC does…
There’s really no such thing as a critical need for public housing. There can be a critical need for housing, but the rest is just a need for employment.
The other need is rent control in the private market or for the Government to stop signing leases with such high rental prices. Public housing is so heavily relied on in Nunavut because the private market rents are so unaffordable. Its’ absurd that someone making $70k a year can not even afford to rent a bachelor unit.
Here in arviat they have been building unit sill longes time and this was why before u guys said 3000 units so there faking again.
Where are these 394 completed units?
Must be new hotel aqsarnit eh
Didn’t Nunatsiaq just run a story where the NCCD CEO stated the first Nunavut 3000 building was completed in Iqaluit a month or two ago? Now they are saying 392 units have been completed? By who and where as it is not listed on the map.
The Belcher Islands in the heart of Hudson Bay has a community of 1000+ people.
Why is Sanikiluaq not even on the map???
The most forgotten community as usual.
So the interactive map is very informative but not very complimentary to the project. Many of the units “under construction ” are scheduled for completion in “fall of 2026”. That is 24 months to construct the number of units in a community which had historically been completed in 3 to 5 months. Really. It appears as though the basket you put half your eggs in has a gapping hole in it. Time for some mea culpas.
I am not a PJ fan, but he took on the largest housing project in the history of Nunavut, and so far are doing ok, and if it does not cost us the future capital plans, really good, and all you trolls and keyboard warriors give it a chance, housing is causing a lot of social grief in Nu,3-5 months to build a unit, what are you on and where do you live,I will hire you to build me a house in Iqaluit now.
i was responsible for all types of construction for 25 years in nunavut. 3-5 months to build a single unit is reasonable. As a matter of fact 5 months is to long. The biggest problem i had was finding people to work and showing up to work.
I have lived in Iqaluit for 30 years and your still full of it no way 3-5 months now your saying staff will not show up, northern staff or southern staff, excuses 3-5 months, southern staff come here for 6-8 weeks is this your way of backing out of your. BS statement. Troll
What a mess !!!!
The information is all over the place.
It is like a plate of spagetti. Difficult to unravel and understand in the best circumstances.
The money that came from the Feds ( enormous ), how does it flow and turn into houses.
There are way too many organisations involved and no accountability whatsoever.
$900 millions coming from the private sector ??????????
If it is true that this amount was injected in the Nunavut economy by the private sector, it is great but what does it have to do with the Government numbers and accounting of public funds and their performance.
Again ,this is an enormous mess
Thanks
2000 sf house piles to hand over keys 2 months. Nothing extra ordinary about it. Happens every day. Ppay attention to contractors that deliver.
One of recognized standards for estimating the average trade labour for an average home is 9600 hours or about 3 months. More complex builds are then factored. This accounts for all trades on the average home. Look it up. Stop debating it if you don’t know what your talking about.
9,600 hours is about 3 months?
24hrs per day
Let’s say 30 days per month, times 3 (90 days)
24 x 90 = Definitely not 9,600
Definitely getting over charged here for over estimate on 3 months labour… how many workers, which trades, what level (journeyman, 1st, 2nd, 3rd year), how many hours per day/shift? There are a lot of missing variables to make 24×90 = 9,600… Where do we “look it up”?
Trades, your another dreamer, 3-5 months another troll living on another planet, it would be 3-5 months to get a trades person just to show up, where are you guys from.
Just wanted to make something clear. In the article, where it says “Nunatsiaq News spent several weeks working with Nunavut Housing Corp. staff to get detailed information about progress toward the $2.6-billion goal to build 3,000 units in Nunavut by 2030.” That statement is actually false. 3000 are not being built. Read the details of Nunavut 3000 and you will see what i mean.
Read and understand. All trades involved, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, drywallers, painters. All trades. Combined, 3 months. Like I said, don’t believe me look, it up, learn something. Accept facts. And yes the formula works, even in NU. Been there, done it a dozen times or more. Oh by the way, the world is not flat, pigs do not fly and there is no Santa Clause.
Care to share your data source? CMHC publishes that data and it has it by city. Your figures are not even close.
Vancouver 12.7 months for single detached, semi 12.2 months, Row 12.1 months, apartment 22.3 months. Calgary… etc. etc.
https://www.reddit.com/r/TorontoRealEstate/comments/1c53jfb/construction_time_by_city_months_source_cmhc/
So please let us know where your data is coming from other than “I know”.
WAIT!!! Whatchoo mean – there is no Santa Claus(e)??
Whats your source? A make it good!
Addressing Public Housing Challenges in Nunavut: Ensuring Fairness and Sustainability
It’s encouraging to see that the Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC) is making strides towards addressing homelessness, with plans to deliver 3,000 housing units by 2030. With 322 units currently under construction, this is a promising step toward alleviating the severe housing crisis in our territory. These efforts will undoubtedly help many families in need, and the focus on improving public housing is commendable.
However, the road to equitable and sustainable public housing goes beyond construction. A critical area that needs attention is the point rating system used in housing applications. Unfortunately, there are ongoing concerns about nepotism within some Local Housing Associations (LHAs) and boards of directors. When point ratings are not properly calculated or followed, it undermines the fairness and transparency of housing allocations, leaving deserving families without homes.
LHA managers are in a position to voice concerns when they notice irregularities in point ratings. Yet, fear of being placed in the spotlight or facing personal conflicts with board members often silences their input—especially when board members’ family members are involved. This highlights the need for stronger governance, accountability, and board training.
Proper training for LHA boards is essential to ensure they follow bylaws and allocate housing fairly. This training must emphasize impartiality and the importance of adhering strictly to established guidelines. Transparency and accountability should be at the core of every decision.
Another pressing issue is the quality and maintenance of the housing units themselves. Qualified maintenance personnel must oversee the units to ensure they meet standards after being handed over to the LHAs. Additionally, educating tenants about maintaining their homes is vital to preventing unnecessary damage. Tenant education programs can help ensure units remain livable for longer, reducing repair costs and improving overall housing conditions.
Addressing these systemic issues is key to ensuring that the new units being built truly meet the needs of Nunavummiut. Let’s work together to create a housing system that is fair, sustainable, and reflective of the values of our communities.
NHC annual reports:
2022/23: 97 units ‘made available’. Another 150 units were ‘in progress’. All of these, apparently, started before Nunavut 3000 was announced. Which makes sense – the program only announced in October of 2022.
2023/2024: 38 units ‘made available’ (including 18 in Iqaluit and 10 modular units). 10 additional units completed (of the 150 in progress the previous year?). 162 units were reported to be in progress.
More explanation is needed for context.
This original poster for Prime Minister!!