Fort Simpson Modular Housing Project Milestone Marks Shift from Planning to Production

Press Release

Construction is well underway on two new Housing NWT modular duplexes for Fort Simpson, which are expected to be delivered to the community later this summer.

Fort Simpson is the first of nine communities scheduled to receive new modular duplexes and/or fourplexes through a project that will replace social housing units that have reached the end of their design life.

This work is part of a three-year, $150 million capital investment from the Government of the Northwest Territories that also includes funding for repairs, as well as larger multi-unit buildings in Yellowknife and Hay River.

During the 2025/26 fiscal year, work focused on procurement, planning, design, and pre‑production. In 2026/27, the program moves into production, site development, staging, and targeted completions. The final year, 2027/28, will focus on completing and commissioning homes across participating communities.

As part of this territory-wide investment, Housing NWT will deliver modular duplexes and fourplexes with a total of 98 replacement units in the following communities:

• Ulukhaktok – 10 units
• Tuktoyaktuk – 10 units
• Inuvik Blueberry Patch Phase 1 – 20 units (an additional 20 units are expected to be delivered during Phase 2, with $19.2 million in funding from the Government of Canada through the Affordable Housing Fund)
• Délı̨nę – 10 units
• Tulita – 10 units
• Behchokǫ̀ – 10 units (in addition to a new fourplex of singles units and one single-family home being delivered through a previous Housing NWT commitment)
• Fort Simpson – 8 units
• Fort Providence – 10 units
• Fort Smith – 10 units

Communities were selected based on the number of housing units that have exceeded their expected service life and where there is a demonstrated need for singles housing. Most of these new units will be one-bedroom and are designed for single occupancy, to align with the findings of the NWT Territorial Housing Needs Assessment.

Ninety-four of these units are being delivered through a partnership with Arcan Construction Ltd. and METCAN Building Solutions, an NWT manufacturer that builds modular homes in Hay River. Four units planned for Tulita will be constructed at the K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę Trades Centre in Fort Good Hope.

Two duplexes for Fort Simpson are currently under construction at the METCAN Building Solutions site in Hay River and are scheduled to be delivered later this construction season. These buildings have recently reached a rough-in milestone, meaning mechanical and electrical systems have been substantially installed.

Modular construction is a central feature of Housing NWT’s current capital delivery approach. This approach is part of a broader effort to scale up social housing delivery across the territory while maintaining quality, energy efficiency, and durability standards designed for northern conditions.

Quote

“Reaching this construction milestone shows how our modular housing rollout is moving from planning into real delivery, bringing new homes closer to completion for communities like Fort Simpson. We are moving plans into action, and the commitments of the 20th Legislative Assembly are quickly becoming more homes for Northerners.”

– Lucy Kuptana, Minister Responsible for Housing

Quick facts

• Housing NWT has an inventory of 95 social housing units in Fort Simpson, including the 20-unit Stanley Isaiah Senior Citizens Complex. Six units are currently vacant awaiting major repairs.
• About 11% of the village’s residents live in public housing.
• As of December 2025, 30 households were on the waitlist for social housing in the community, including 24 single-unit applicants.

Related links

• Housing NWT Awards 84-Unit Contract to Northern Manufacturer
• GNWT advancing 98 new modular homes across nine NWT communities
• NWT Territorial Housing Needs Assessment
• NWT Bureau of Statistics – Housing Conditions

For media requests, please contact:
Laura Busch, Manager, Communications
Housing NWT
Government of the Northwest Territories
NWTHC_comms@gov.nt.ca

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