Habitat for Humanity NWT officially kicked off its largest build to date on Thursday. 

The non-profit is building two duplexes on Moyle Drive in Niven Lake with a total of four housing units when all is said and done.

Applications for the upcoming units also opened yesterday with construction on track to be completed this fall.

Alex Davidson, president of Habitat for Humanity NWT, said each unit will consist of two bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. A half-bathroom simply means there鈥檚 no shower. 

The homes will also have driveways, he added.

"Families, ideally, would be moved in before Christmas," said Davidson.

Habitat for Humanity NWT is working with an approximate budget of $2 million, according to Alayna Ward, the organization's executive director. 

That funding comes from various sources, including federal contributions, Housing NWT, the Yellowknife Elks Lodge and other groups.

She added that final costs will be calculated by September.

"We're going to be applying for more funding as well through various places locally," Ward said. 

Ward said she鈥檚 excited about the life-changing opportunity this presents for families to own an affordable home. 

To qualify, a household must have an income of at least $91,000 to ensure they can manage the mortgage payments. Those payments are interest-free and the mortgage is for no longer than 20 years. If the family's income increases, the mortgage payments would increase based off of that, which would shrink the term of the mortgage.

"You're still responsible for the property taxes, utilities, upkeep, all that. It is your home (so) you pay for it," said Ward.

The second, and perhaps most obvious, criterion is that applicants must be in housing need, Ward said. 

That means their current home is not suitable whether due to mould, lack of heating, or other issues.

But the homes are affordable. Part of that means there鈥檚 no down payment, which is something many low-income families struggle to afford. Instead, applicants must complete 500 hours of community service or sweat equity, as it's known, as well as helping to build their home alongside other volunteers working on the construction. 

Families are also given financial literacy and budgeting classes, along with home repair and maintenance training to make sure everything goes well.

In the past, people have volunteered at Avens, hospitals, or schools, Ward noted.

Once a family moves in, the home is theirs so long as they keep up with mortgage payments, Ward explained. Families who can't afford this option are better off seeking social housing. 

Social housing refers to government-subsidized homes for people with low incomes or specific needs. In this case, the home would be owned by the GNWT.

Overall, Ward said it's been great to see how welcoming neighbourhoods have been toward Habitat for Humanity鈥檚 efforts.

"We've had such an incredible amount of support from people who want Habitat to build more housing," she said. "We've been really fortunate that people really want these houses to be built. People recognize that there's an affordable housing crisis."