Housing Challenges in Watson Lake Despite New Projects
Despite the completion of several housing projects in Watson Lake, Yukon, one family continues to face significant challenges in finding suitable housing. The situation highlights the ongoing struggle many residents encounter in a community where demand for affordable homes remains high.
In recent years, Watson Lake has seen the development of 15 unique kit-set timber homes through the collaboration between the Liard First Nation and the Yukon government’s 10-plex Housing First initiative. These efforts aim to address the growing need for housing, but for some, the results have not been as promising as expected.
Josh Laufer, a resident who recently moved to Watson Lake after securing a job with the Liard First Nation, shared his experience of difficulty in finding stable housing. As a LFN citizen, he was initially assured that housing would be available. However, upon arrival, he and his wife found no immediate place to live.
“We were kind of shocked to realize that there was no housing for us when we first arrived,” Laufer said. He and his family had to stay with someone else for two weeks before finding temporary housing at a lodge. This arrangement lasted only three months, after which they managed to secure a short-term rental cabin on the other side of Watson Lake.
Laufer eventually found a more permanent home, but the process involved multiple moves. While grateful for the stability, he noted that the family is quickly outgrowing their current space. Laufer expressed a desire to buy a home in Watson Lake, but the limited availability of affordable properties—often priced above $500,000—makes this goal difficult to achieve.
He described the experience as a lesson in survival. “It puts you in a survival mode. You feel tense. You have that instability. It’s always the weight on your shoulders. The longer you’re in that, it affects you mentally and in your day-to-day. Especially with the challenges of raising a family.”
Efforts to Expand Housing Options
Watson Lake Mayor Lauren Hanchar highlighted recent initiatives aimed at increasing housing availability. The municipality received over $1.2 million from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator fund to support new housing projects.
One of the key initiatives involves infill dwelling units, which utilize empty spaces or secondary dwellings within existing homes. This approach allows for more efficient use of available land and provides additional housing options without requiring large-scale construction.
Another program, the Residential Conversion Grant, focuses on converting underutilized commercial or industrial spaces into residential units. The Town of Watson Lake has already awarded $200,000 under this program to create new dwellings. Five approved projects will transform previously abandoned or underused spaces into housing, while four additional projects under the Housing Development Grant will add six more units with $240,000 in funding.
While these efforts represent progress, Hanchar acknowledged that they are not a complete solution to the housing crisis. “We have a few houses for sale within the municipality, but I don’t think we really have the economy to support that right now and the rental market is really tight,” she said.
She emphasized that solving the housing issue will take time and continued collaboration across all levels of government and the private sector. “It’s not going to be solved overnight. We just have to keep chipping away at it and keep trying different things and working with as many partners as we can — all levels of governments and the private sector — to figure it out.”
