Public housing shortage getting worse in most Nunavut communities
Nunavut Housing Corp. has completed 313 housing units since Nunavut 3000 announced in 2022
Housing construction is ongoing in Iqaluit. More people across Nunavut need public housing than last year, according to a report released last month by Nunavut Housing Corporation. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
It’s been four years since the territorial government launched Nunavut 3000, but the need for public housing is still increasing.
Rankin Inlet has the worst shortage, according to Nunavut Housing Corp.’s 2024-25 annual report, tabled in the legislative assembly on June 8. The community leads the list of 18 communities that have seen housing needs increase over the past year, according to the report.
The number of units in Rankin Inlet would need to almost double to accommodate every resident on the public housing waiting list, the report says.
The hamlet is closely followed by Kinngait, which topped last year’s list. There, the housing stock needs to increase by 87 per cent.
Nunavut Housing Corp. classifies 20 Nunavut communities as having a “critical” public housing need.
In 2022, the Nunavut government introduced Nunavut 3000, a $2.6-billion goal to build 3,000 units in Nunavut by 2030.
Of that total, NHC and NCC Development Corp. are responsible for constructing approximately 1,400 public housing units, which is expected to cost $1.2 billion.
Since 2022, 313 public houses were completed. Another 352 are under construction, according to a progress report published Monday.
“Multiple factors influence housing need, including population demographics,” said Adam Lightstone, spokesperson for Nunavut Housing Corp., Thursday in an email.
“As Nunavut’s youthful population ages, more people become eligible for the public housing wait list.”
Out of 25 communities, three have seen a positive trend in their public housing shortage since 2023-24: Chesterfield Inlet, Arctic Bay and Kinngait.
The corporation manages 6,135 public housing units. More than 60 per cent of Nunavummiut rely on those units, 45 per cent of which are considered overcrowded.
The wait list had 3,348 applicants as of March 2025. As of March 31, 2026, that number grew to 3,713, Lightstone said.
The housing situation in Nunavut has long been described as a crisis.
This summer, the corporation plans to execute what the report calls “the largest co-ordinated housing builds in Nunavut’s history” — 157 public housing units and 10 government staff housing units across 16 Nunavut communities.
Fifty-eight of those will be in Iqaluit. It’s followed by Pangnirtung and Kugaaruk, which will both get 14 units.
We all know this was just a joke that will never happen 3000 units LOL
Oh, and here we go again. How much ink has been spilled by this newspaper alone, other articles from various news outlasts, the AG Report, videos made, social media posts posted on NHC, NU 3000 and everything surrounding housing and the failures of NHC, NHC leadership, and NU 3000? Has everyone not had enough? 4 years in, Hundreds of millions spent, few units actually completed and being lived in. Numbers skewed and changing so often even a veteran auditor would have trouble reconciliating and the “goal posts” for this project have wheels.
Now they have brought in Lightstone to continue the gaslighting. Simple questions: Where is the independent investigation into this NU 3000 Charade? Where did the $30 million EXTRA go that was paid in June of 2025 by NHC to NCCD (now NCC3000 or whatever they are calling themselves this week) when they had not even “delivered for occupancy” 10% of the units, they were supposed to contractual deliver for 2024 and 2025? Explain the 1 to 2 years delays in building 6, 8 & 12 plex’s (stop saying issues with pilings) that one is getting old? Where are the 600 additional units that NCCD was to build as affordable housing that was part of the Sole Source Contract? Why no units awarded to NHC as per the Minister’s statement in the LEG this past sitting? What does that mean for the Sole Source Contract? What is the actual sq. ft. cost per unit (stick build) NOW in 2026 when the NHC CEO and then Minister of Housing said was going to be $600 to $650 back in 2023 and then up that back in July 2025 to $705 to $755 for those same builds? What is the cost of the modulars per sq. ft. that NHC is so excited about and flogging as the be all and end all of the housing crisis? Those are just a few.
It is utterly mind bending to watch this go on and on. There was some small hope for action when the new government was elected back in October 2025. This hope has given way 9 months later to more of the same nonsense, misinformation, deflecting, status quo, avoiding responsibility and accountability.
All the while Nunavummiut’s’ wait for desperately needed homes.
GN Staff housing shortages is becoming a serious concern as well. Hard to get nurses and other important roles like Social workers filled when theres no available housing and the GN is now giving housing to jobs that have little significance to the GN