SA国际影视传媒婻ents for some teachers, nurses, officers and other critical workers in smaller NWT communities are getting a rent increase, effective Aug. 1.

A 90-day notice was sent out by Housing NWT to renters under the Market Rental Program of the pending increase on May 1.

Noting the last time a rental increase was put forward was in 2012, the GNWT says the increase is needed to keep up with inflation. The changes are based on the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation's 2023 annual report and "a scan" of the Yellowknife rental market in the same year "to ensure alignment with the private market." 

The rents were then reduced 10 per cent "ensure they are more affordable than average," read a May 7 press release.

"The GNWT is dedicated to providing affordable housing options that support the essential workers who contribute to the vibrancy of our smaller communities," said Housing NWT Minister Lucy Kuptana. "These adjustments are a responsible step to support the development of housing market capacity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our market housing program, allowing us to continue offering quality homes for those who need them most."

Housing NWT stated it relies on rent revenue from market rental units, which are managed by local housing organizations on the ground level, to upkeep and repair rental units. It added that making rentals more in line with the private sector would also enable more Indigenous-led market rental initiatives and attract more private sector rental units.

"Increasingly, other developers including Indigenous governments and their development corporations and businesses are providing market housing, expanding options in communities," says the press release.

Intended to prevent staffing shortages in smaller communities, the market housing rent scale was first introduced in 2012. It provides housing for critical workers outside the main regional centres of Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife.