Cycles of loss and survival: Voices of northern Indigenous Women experiencing homelessness

Rhonda’s life has been marked by cycles of stability and hardship, from fleeing domestic violence to facing housing insecurity in Yellowknife. After moving to the city for safety and work, a relationship entangled with addiction led to her eviction and a return to square one. Along with other women facing similar struggles, she participated in a sharing circle organized by the National Indigenous Women’s Housing Network and Yellowknife Women’s Society. Many of the women, like Marie and Doreen, had encountered housing insecurity both in their home communities and in Yellowknife. With average rents exceeding $2,000 and a vacancy rate under 2%, affordable housing is scarce.

The group discussed the impacts of colonialism on housing insecurity, with many sharing stories of trauma, addiction, and the challenges of staying sober in unstable environments. Indigenous women, particularly, have been disproportionately affected by these issues, as highlighted by the city’s homelessness count, where 85% of individuals identified as Indigenous.

The women expressed a strong desire for training in trades and housing construction as a way to gain self-sufficiency and agency. The hope is to build culturally appropriate, affordable housing with local materials, empowering Indigenous communities to have ownership and control over their housing solutions.