Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation adding more homes to Dawson City subdivision

Everybody deserves a safe, warm, and affordable place to call home.

That is why the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation (TH) in Dawson City, Yukon, is adding a handful of new homes to its C-4 subdivision.

The four new single-family dwellings will come with two bedrooms, a kitchen, large living room, washroom, and a laundry room.

Kim Sharp is the manager of housing and infrastructure with the First Nation. She said the construction contracts were given in October, and the expectation was that the four homes would be done by May.

"We're fortunate enough to have enough local, and Indigenous contractor talent in this town to be able to award two of the houses to one individual, and two of the houses to another," Sharp told CBC News.

She said she was surprised to see how quickly work began. Within a few weeks of starting, the homes were already framed and walls had started to go up.

"It's incredible," she said. "They're knocking it out of the park. I mean, we're also pleased, and surprised that we've gotten really lucky with the weather and they're gung-ho. Both sets of contractors."

Sharp said a duplex is also being built by the First Nation in town on 4th avenue, and that it is going up just as fast as the units in C-4.

Sharp told CBC News that there are currently 16 citizens on the First Nation's housing wait list. That's down almost half from when former Chief Roberta Joseph said there were 30 citizens on the list in 2022.

None of the homes under construction have been allocated to anybody yet, according to Sharp. She said that she is looking forward to when the time comes to notify new tenants that their home is move-in ready.

"When you show somebody for the first time ... the stress that you feel coming off of them. They're surprised. The feel of watching that all happen is magic," she said.

Safe and inclusive neighbourhood

Directly across from the new homes sits a brand new playground equipped with slides, swings, gazebo, and mini cabin for kids to play in.

The development of the subdivision is meant to create a safe, and inclusive neighbourhood, Sharp explained.

"If you live in C-4, you like to stay in C-4," Sharp said. "You can sort of age in place a little more successfully but stay in the neighbourhood. Have your grandkids down at the park where your children used to play."

Sharp said there are plans to build more homes, and landscape the subdivision later this year but for now she is focused on getting tenants into the new units, in C-4, and in town.

"Any outcomes for any individual are strengthened by having the safety and security of affordable housing," she said.

'You can really see the difference in town'

Jackie Olson is a board member for the Klondike Development Organization (KDO). One of the main focuses of the organization is to alleviate the rental housing shortage in Dawson City. 

"The TH housing that's going up this winter has been very prominent," said Olson. "There's four houses in the subdivision that have just popped up over the last few months."

In regards to reducing the number of people on the housing wait list by almost half, Olson said it's an accomplishment.

"You can really see the difference in town," she explained. "You know, with the new housing going up, old housing is being removed from town. So I think their strategy is really shifting and they're really taking advantage of the assets they have.

"So by taking the old houses that have expired in a way and building new houses they're able to continue to use the CMHC [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation] funding which helps them build units."

Olson said it's a great move for the First Nation but there is still a broader challenge when it comes to housing in Dawson City.

"It's more of a challenge for people wanting to move here," she said. "I think for Dawson as a whole, a good step forward is real commitment from the governments to support northern housing. Especially in rural communities.

"People can't couch-surf, and people can't live on the streets. That's just not possible here. The [Yukon] government itself has some huge properties that should be developed and there should be commitment to move those projects forward."