Inuvik (Feb 24/03) - Education officials are doing their part to keep teachers from leaving the Beaufort Delta region.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has contracted the Yellowknife firm Terriplan Consultants to conduct an "information gathering study" to look into the housing shortage all across the Northwest Territories.

The NWT Teachers Association also conducted a similar housing survey with its members over the past month.

David Murphy, president of the Teachers Association, said the survey addresses housing conditions, availability, affordability. Official results have not yet been tabulated, but he said there are some early indicators.

"It shows that in many of our communities, especially in the Beaufort Delta, the Sahtu region and in the Deh Cho, that there are communities in which housing is very much a concern.

"And it is one of the very important items of concern that teachers have in deciding to remain in the community," he said.

A consultant with Terriplan interviewed the chair of the Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council, James Anderson, over the telephone Feb. 7. The survey concentrated on the housing shortage and its correlation to teacher turnovers.

"Housing is a great concern to us in the Beaufort Delta, as in a lack of, condition of, cost of," said Anderson.

Outrageous teacher turnover rates has been a never-ending headache in the Beaufort Delta region for many years. Anderson said 61 new teachers were hired for the current academic year in this region alone.

He blames the problem almost entirely on the housing shortage.

Currently, some teachers in communities outside Inuvik are residing in hotels, health centres and church minister's homes.

"And we have three and four teachers living together because of the housing crunch," said Anderson.

He identified Fort McPherson as the community suffering the most from the housing crisis. And right now, Inuvik is the only community in the region that is not affected.

"It's a very fluid situation," said Anderson. He said the DEC is sometimes fortunate to hire teachers who are husband and wife, meaning only one home is needed. But that is a rare find.

Finally when the right candidates are found, they usually only stick around for an average of five years. In Inuvik teachers often tend to stay longer, but Anderson said "we are getting more and more teachers who choose to stay for one year only."

Murphy also wants the government to adopt a set of regulations, setting clear guidelines for NWT rental rates and increases.

He said a teacher hired for Aklavik this year signed a lease for a housing unit before moving to the community. But when the teacher arrive, she was informed that her rent would be increasing.

"You can sign a lease today and get a notice tomorrow saying that the rent will be increased.

"If a teacher gets hired in July, they should at least have the next academic year at that rent because many teachers who accept the position accept it based on the financial package offered and what the cost would be when they get there.

"But when their rent is higher when they get to the community, they say they would not have come if they had known it up front," said Murphy.

Anderson hopes these initiatives are a step towards finding a solution to the housing crunch and teacher shortage in the region.

The final results of the NWTTA and ECE polls will be tabulated by mid-March. Murphy said he will then be meeting with Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jake Ootes, Finance Minister Joe Handley and several other government representatives to present the findings.