Housing activity has been picking up in Yellowknife but it still has a ways to go to match the pace from a decade ago. 

Two-hundred-and-seventy-three residences were completed in 2024, according to the City of Yellowknife. For this year, between February to May, the city says it anticipates an increase in development and building permit activity.

Part of that upswing may be attributed to the city's 2025 development incentives program SA国际影视传媒� grants and abatements SA国际影视传媒� available through its planning and development department. According to a council document prepared for a Governance and Priorities Committee meeting on Feb. 3, the municipality says its goal with planning and development service standards is to cut costs and red tape in the construction and development processes.

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But despite the apparent momentum, it seems the city is still playing catch-up. 

"We're behind where I think we should be," said city planning director Charlsey White.

Compare Yellowknife's current figures to 2022, when it approved new zoning and building bylaws, and there's a relative spike today, White said. But, as she pointed out, the Covid-19 pandemic created a drop off in building units.

The city is on par with building stats from 2018. Go back to 2015, however, and the city is nowhere near as active, White said.

She added that the municipality is currently not meeting its housing needs, both when it comes to the total number of housing units and type of housing units.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know that we need more two-, three- and four-bedroom units," said White. "WeSA国际影视传媒檙e not necessarily seeing those coming.SA国际影视传媒�

As of 2024, the city's homeless population was 312 people. 

Yellowknife received 604 building and planning permit applications last year, according to Saxon Chung, a communications advisor with the city.

"Of the 604 applications received, 577 applications received a decision, 22 of the applications did not require a permit and five applications were withdrawn," he said.

Land lease approvals generally take 60 days in Yellowknife, according to the city's records. But in 2024, that fell to 48 days. Processing an information request normally takes 30 days, but it only took 10 in 2024, the city stated.

Those timelines are on par with Alberta, said White. Compared to Ontario, "we're blowing them out of the water," she said, putting Yellowknife somewhere in the middle of the pack.

For 2025, there are a little more than 300 approved permits for multi-unit dwellings, according to the city. There are also 15 residential consultations complete, but still in need of permit applications.

Coun. Garett Cochrane commended to the planning and development department for its efforts so far.

SA国际影视传媒淥verall, I believe this is a very good story and something that we should all be very proud of," he said.