Some Indigenous governments in Fort Smith, N.W.T., are taking the lead on building housing for the community so it has room to grow.
For projects led by the Salt River First Nation and the Fort Smith Métis Council, construction is already underway.
“We work together as a community, and we’ll expand as a community so that our little community is not going to stay small anymore,” Salt River First Nation Chief Toni Heron said. “It’s going to grow.” Fort Smith has a population of around 2,500 people and has been feeling a housing crunch, much like most other communities in the territory. According to a territorial needs assessment by Housing N.W.T., about 28 per cent of households face housing problems, such as unsuitable housing, unaffordable housing or housing in need of major repairs. And a shortage of market rental units is leaving jobs at the college, hospital and schools vacant.
The report also notes that Aurora College has identified a need for 100 new student units and 10 new staff units as part of its facilities masterplan associated with its transition to a polytechnic university.
With Salt River First Nation in the process of building a new housing subdivision and the Fort Smith Métis Council building new social housing for Housing N.W.T., Indigenous governments in the town are pushing ahead to make room for more people to move to town.