Phoebe Nadezo has been grappling with cancer for almost as long as she has been moving from place to place without a permanent home. The 49-year-old resident of BehchokÇ«Ì, N.W.T., became homeless in 2015 and was diagnosed with a brain tumor just two years later.
Due to her housing instability, Nadezo carries her belongings in a suitcase or tote bag and relies on temporary house-sitting arrangements in exchange for household tasks and childcare. However, coping with severe cancer symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, extreme fatigue, shaking, muscle spasms, and progressive vision and hearing loss has made her daily life extremely challenging.
Since her diagnosis, Nadezo has undergone brain surgery and chemotherapy in Yellowknife, with another surgery planned in Edmonton in the near future. Despite her health struggles, Nadezo has been on the social housing waitlist for eight-and-a-half years, seeking a single-unit dwelling for herself.
According to Housing N.W.T., there are currently 168 applicants on the social housing waitlist in BehchokÇ«Ì, slightly higher than in January 2026. The average waiting time for social housing is around two years, according to Micheal Dawodu, Housing N.W.T.’s North Slave District Director.
Nadezo expressed frustration at being repeatedly promised a housing unit over the years, only to be passed over for others. The housing allocation process follows a point-based priority policy, prioritizing urgent needs, health or safety risks, and family size rather than the application date, leading to ongoing displacement of older single individuals like Nadezo in the housing queue.
Feeling disheartened by the constant delays, Nadezo lamented, “I’m at a point where I’m giving up because every year they keep saying I’m going to get one.” The housing situation in the region also poses risks for unhoused women, with reports of single male unit holders demanding sexual favors from homeless women in exchange for accommodation, a situation Nadezo adamantly rejects.
To advocate for residents like Nadezo, Jane Weyallon Armstrong, the MLA for Monfwi, has been tirelessly lobbying the Minister’s office daily due to territorial policy restrictions preventing MLAs from directly engaging with local housing staff. The push for action to address the unsafe and overcrowded housing conditions has become a constant effort for Armstrong.