The Uquutaq Society received $10 million in funding from the federal government for its Butler housing project at 803 Aiviq St. in Iqaluit. A conceptual image illustrates what the interior will look like. (Photo courtesy of Laurel McCorriston/Uquutaq Society)
Three Iqaluit housing projects received a financial shot in the arm this month totalling nearly $13 million.
The recipients are the Uquutaq Society, for its Butler housing project; Pairijiit Tigummiaqtikkut (the Iqaluit Elders Society), for its elder housing project; and YWCA Agvik Nunavut, for new apartments in Apex.
The money flows from a $281.5-million fund announced in the 2022 federal budget to address Indigenous housing needs through Indigenous Services Canada.
National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc., an Indigenous-led national non-profit housing organization established in December 2022, is the arm’s-length administrator of the money.
The non-profit organization announced the funding Oct. 23 in a news release.
Uquutaq Society gets the lion’s share of the money — $10 million for its Butler housing project at 803 Aiviq St. The Butler project will add 27 single-occupancy rooms to downtown Iqaluit, including laundry facilities, a shared kitchen and covered parking.
Laurel McCorriston, Uquutaq’s out-going executive director, said the federal contribution builds on $2.7 million the society had already received from the territorial government as part of its Nunavut 3000 fund.
The total price tag for the Butler project will end up at around $30 million, McCorriston said.
To that end, the society is preparing a capital plan this winter.
“We’re committed to the build, so it’s going to happen,” she said. “It depends on when we have it fully funded, so we shouldn’t announce a date.”
Pairijiit Tigummiaqtikkut received just over $560,000 to start developing plans for an elders’ housing project, including what the design for the 45-unit building will look like, said Anne Crawford, an Iqaluit lawyer working with the elders society.
The organization has already secured land for the building beside DJ’s Convenience Store in the 300s area of the city.
YWCA Agvik Nunavut’s building, the Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik daycare at house 3044 in Apex, in contrast is near completion, said executive director Sherri Robertson. She said the non-profit organization plans to offer apartments for rent above the daycare.
The organization received the remainder of the federal funds — approximately $2.4 million — which it used to solicit further help from the Department of Education, which contributed to the cost, along with additional support from the federal government.
So far, $277.8 million has been distributed to 75 projects across the country aimed at building more than 3,800 units, said Justin Prest, communications manager for National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc.
