$600M invested in Nunavut 3000 units; completed projects unclear
Eiryn Devereaux gives update at Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa
Eiryn Devereaux, president of Nunavut Housing Corp., speaks at a panel discussion on housing challenges Feb. 18 at the Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Three construction seasons after the Government of Nunavut announced its Nunavut 3000 housing plan, territory has about 350 completed housing units and another 500 under construction.
“The investment’s there, contracts are signed, so they’re getting built,” said Eiryn Devereaux, president of Nunavut Housing Corp.
Devereaux gave an update Feb. 18 on the progress toward the GN’s $2.6-billion goal to build 3,000 units in Nunavut by 2030. The government announced the plan in October 2022. Devereaux’s update came during a panel discussion on housing challenges at the Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa.
Nunavut Housing Corporation told Nunatsiaq News in November that it had completed 394 units as part of Nunavut 3000. Nunatsiaq News asked Nunavut Housing Corporation on Feb. 19 to clarify Devereaux’s numbers against the higher number the corporation previously provided.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, the housing corporation has not provided a response.
The housing corporation is the recipient of the largest share of the GN’s 2025-26 capital spending plan, released Oct. 24. It is getting $109.7 million out of $353.8 million of estimated capital projects.
Since Nunavut 3000 was unveiled in 2022, 855 building permits have been approved, followed by construction work. The total amount spent so far comes out to approximately $600 million, Devereaux said.
The housing corporation is responsible for 633 of those builds, worth about $440 million.
Nunavut Housing Corp. and NCC Development Corp. are directly responsible for construction of nearly half of all the planned homes, approximately 1,400 of which are to become public housing units.
The corporation is aiming to bring construction materials for 120 to 140 new units in the 2025 sealift season, Devereaux said.
But along with building new units, the corporation is hoping to bring more Inuit into the skilled labour force though training, Devereaux said.
About 75 per cent of skilled labour is imported from the south.
“There’s huge potential if we were able to achieve that in terms of money recirculating into the economy, so hopefully, that’s the next big thing that’s on the radar,” he said.
Devereaux spoke at the panel along with Clarence Synard, president of NCC Development Ltd., and Patrick Payette of Ikajurtigiit Solidarity Coop.
The trade show ran from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20.
I sure hope NHC has had a better method for tracking units that the incredible amount of money is going towards other than building permits. If that is what “under construction” means when Aaron gives his little political showing that’s extremely concerning and disappointing. A building permit is not an under-construction building.
I suspect when Aaron says 350 complete units, those are actual units under construction still and the 500 under construction units are ones that are just permitted or piles in the ground at best. Give me a list by community of complete units if i’m wrong. Let all of NU know exactly where these finished units are, because they are not in my community, they are not in families communities. There’s a few fully completed in IQ. Where is the other 300?
There is be totally inadequate reporting of numbers so far to date. How are these people not being held to a flame during session. I don’t understand how there is zero onus to be honest with the people of NU.
him think you can live in permit and fool nanavit with confusing number that are constantly changing depeds on her mood
how much was the original federal announcement, does anyone remember?
So of the completed units how many are actually from the Nunavut 3000? how many of them started before Nunavut 3000 was announced. As in, the funding was determined before Nunavut 3000 and part of the regular housing builds. that are scheduled.
Has there truly been any increase in the number of units in Nunavut built compared to the status quo?
Their accounting of the number of units is very deceiving and cover your but kind of efforts .
It is becoming a lot like the numbers that TRUMP throws around every single day.
When are we gonna have someone brave ad strong enough to stop the bullshit?
Thank you
Public Housing units will eventually bankrupt Nunavut. 5 years ago, NHC said each public housing unit costs about $26,700 a year to maintain (Nunavut Housing Corp. seeks ways to trim costs, Nunatsiaq March 2019).
They’re talking about adding 1400 public housing. So add $37,380,000 to maintain those new public housing units, in addition to the $269.3 million NHC was allotted in their 2024-25 main estimates, and $109.8 million in the 2025-26 capital estimates, , and you’re now at about $416,000,000 per year.
Family Services dishes out another $63,000,000 in Income Assistance. The federal government also forks over about $100,000,000 in Canada Child Benefit payments to Nunavut, and Inuit Child First spoons out around $80,000,000 a year for groceries.
That sums up to over $650,000,000, all of it except income assistance being tax-free. When adjusted for taxation, that means a family of 5 in Nunavut with unemployed adults is receiving in the ballpark of $150,000 per year in benefits that they did nothing to earn. That’s more than I make at my job. What about you?
If your correct with those numbers throw in nutrition north subsidy, and all that money goes indirectly to northwest company, Arctic coops, and now Calmair l, Manitoba company’s that have the monopoly in Nunavut, and prices are going up more.
Well good job, $1.5 million per unit. Tell me, are these 4 bedroom 2 bathroom units? Or are they shoebox apartments? How can they be so incredibly incompetent when you’ve got bulk and economy of scale on your side? Oh I know, because everyone wants to dip their money in taxpayers pockets.
In my country, the punishment for ineffiency and corruption, is paid for, deeply.
Considering the current political tensions across the globe, I dont think this is the right time to be making comments about punishments in your home country. We should be beyond grateful we live in a country that protects its citizens the way Canada does. Regardless.
There’s also no corruption going on. We’re talking about public funds that are publicly reported in the smallest of provincial/territorial governments. There’s some pretty obvious reasons for the insanely high construction and logistical costs of building in remote arctic communities, hence the (relatively) high budget needed to complete this initiative.
“There’s also no corruption going on”
Get real and off your high horse…
I’ve always wondered about our Premier’s appointment of the President of housing, a bunch of us have wondered if this was the right person for this important position.
So much money involved, contracts and so on, it has to be done right and with the track record of the GN and especially the housing Corp terrible management and track record we were confused by this appointment. Seems there were much better choices out there that have experience in large scale projects, Arctic housing projects experience.
I am hopeful things will improve at housing Corp/GN.
Kind of sounds like you were passed up for the job lol
No, not my interest or desire. There are a handle that would have been a great option not including this current one.
It’s the Premier’s show. I guess he knows best.
Did you ever work at NHC before the new president? All previous NHC presidents were under-qualified and sat around in the breakroom all day. From someone who was there for it. I think this is the first NHC President that actually has a background in building large scale projects? He’s also worked in the GN for years as opposed to bringing in a southerner who knows nothing about Nunavut. I could be wrong but on paper, he looks pretty qualified.
$600M invested in Nunavut units; 28 months since project was announced, 2 years and 4 months, 2 summers of working time. Those are the facts, does the columnist who wrote this think houses appear out of thin air once you say you’re going to build them.
People seem to forget the disarray that was NHC and don’t comprehend the amount of work, and culture change that has had to take place for this department to even be able to talk about building units now… Inherinting that while also trying to keep a mandate to provide homes for the territory does not seem like an easy task.
Does everyone forget the mess that was the GN staff condo program prior to this Premier and president, they had several people living basically rent free, not paying utilities.
My bank wouldn’t even move forward with a mortgage pre approval because NHC couldn’t come up with purchase prices for the condos. Last time I checked, this new administration was actually able to get it all together and sell these some of these condos.
Nunavut 3000 has a goal date for 2030, we are 5 years from the time frame. So far I see progress and people that are working hard to achieve that goal.