Home construction booming

Expect more development in the Lot 106 area over the next two years.

Work is now underway to get a two-storey 16-plex built in the area. An architect has been hired and has since produced its first draft designs of what the structure could look like, Council chief Ryan Montour said.

“We’re pushing as fast and as hard as we can. We need these units,” said Montour, the lead on housing.

Each storey will have eight apartments, ranging in size from one to two-bedrooms each.

The same architect has also produced a draft design for another 16-plex Montour hopes to see in the village area, ideally near the hospital. It’s not yet certain where exactly it’ll be, as there are limitations in the number of lots up for grab in the area. One spot along River Road is currently being studied, he said.

“The housing that’s geared towards elders and those with disabilities, we wanted a lot in the village,” Montour said. “If there’s enough space, we will take it.”

The hope is to have four separate buildings with four units each, he said. Like the building planned for the Lot 106 area, it’ll also be made up of one to two-bedroom apartments.

Both 16-plexes will also be entirely accessible, he assured. Consultations are to come with Connecting Horizons, which represents those with special needs and disabilities in the community.

“We’re trying to mix elders with community members,” Montour said.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has $400,000 committed from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to pay toward their contract with the architect overseeing the two 16-plexes. That’s funding it previously received from the federal government last summer.

The MCK’s housing unit will need to apply for a loan with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to cover the construction costs involved, the unit told The Eastern Door.

Since the final design from the architect still isn’t finished and a loan has yet to be approved, it’s still too early to say how much it would cost to build the two 16-plexes.

Construction on the projects will begin sometime in 2026, ideally. The unit is also exploring adding another six-unit apartment building in the Lot 106 area too - but is still in the preliminary stages of planning for it.

There are currently about 50 people on the unit’s waiting list for social housing. Most (30) have been on it for over two years now.

“We’re going to supply the demand, it’s that simple,” Montour said. “We’re looking at a great, bright future for housing.”

It’s the most vulnerable in the community that’ll be the first to move into any social housing once it’s ready, he said. That includes those at risk of homelessness, the elderly, large families, those with disabilities, and those currently living in homes of poor condition.

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