Fort McPherson (Apr 28/03) - Housing in Fort McPherson is so scarce that one class at Chief Julius school could be left without a teacher before the end of the semester.

But that doesn't surprise anyone who lives in the community nor education officials.

Kira Epstein, regional vice-president of the Northwest Territories Teachers Association and a teacher at Chief Julius, is fed up with the absence of accommodations for teachers.

She has been living and teaching in Fort McPherson for five years and although she has secure accommodations, the situation for her colleagues is getting more desperate every year.

One teacher has been residing temporarily in an empty apartment unit at the nursing station. But late last month she was given notice that the unit would soon be required and she had to move out.

Day to day, the teacher does not know if she will have a place to live. She may have to leave the community and her students could be left without a teacher.

Three other teachers -- who didn't know each other before moving to the community -- are living in a three- bedroom apartment because they are unable to find single housing units.

Last year, two teachers were forced to share a bachelor apartment. In Fort McPherson, teachers cannot choose how or where they live, and that worries Epstein.

"These are full-grown professionals living like university students.

"I am very frustrated because every year we have to deal with this (absence of housing) one way or the other. There is so much for the teachers to adapt to," she said.

One vacant home

The GNWT owns one vacant three-bedroom home in Fort McPherson which is currently up for sale. A teacher had purchased the former GNWT staff house a few years ago when the government got out of the housing business.

But under the government buy-back program, the teacher sold the home back to the government over a year ago when she left the community.

Fred Chambers, responsible for the GNWT staff housing policy with the Financial Management Board Secretariat, said the teacher in Fort McPherson without permanent accommodations could rent the home if she wanted.

"Apparently the house isn't up to snuff or is too expensive or whatever for that individual, I am told," he said.

Chambers did not recall the exact rental rate for the three-bedroom bungalow, but said the price ranges between $1,200 and $1,400 per month.

Epstein said prices in that range are too high for single teachers to afford and single-dwelling units are desperately needed.

Because taking on a teaching position in a new community is challenging in itself, said Epstein, the absence of adequate, reliable, affordable housing means the transitional period is very stressful for newcomers.

"It's just this unnecessary drain on their energy that we would rather be spent in the classroom and in the community," said Epstein.

It has come to a point where the education council has been hiring retired married couples to teach at Chief Julius school in an effort to reduce the number of housing units required. According to Epstein, those married couples only stay for one or two years.

"It bothers me that we cannot make more of an effort to recruit younger people that might choose to stay four to seven years, but without a place that feels like home, that's less likely to happen," she said.

Tired of waiting

Epstein is tired of waiting for the government to find a solution. Each year the government wastes time and money on recruitment efforts, she said.

"You cannot put an ad in the paper looking for a teacher if you don't have housing.

The solution, in Epstein's view, is simple -- the government should get back into the housing business.

"I don't see it as a risky investment. They know that teachers will always need a place to stay and they know they are going to get teachers every year.

"They will have guaranteed tenants and that's what I don't understand because they will have guaranteed income. It really seems like a simple solution to a simple problem," she said.

James Anderson, chair of the Beaufort Delta Education Council, is very much aware of the housing crunch in Fort McPherson and its effect on the well-being of teachers and students.

"It's beyond critical. It's an emergency situation.

Your basic needs aren't met, then it's hard for everything else to fall into place.

"Stability is crucial. If we are going to have student success and improvement in our school system, we are going to have to address core issues such as housing," he said.

Anderson agrees an adequate solution needs to be found immediately.

"In my opinion, there needs to be dedicated housing in our communities for teachers.

"Whether it's provided by government or through community corporations or other organizations in the community is a moot point. There just needs to be dedicated housing," he said.

NWT Teachers Association president David Murphy said he had discussions with FMBS and ECE about the teacher in Fort McPherson facing troubles with accommodations.He said he has spoken with the teacher several times this year, and agrees something should be done to help her.

"Certainly it's not very good for retention of employees to have them placed in that situation.

"It is very stressful. She is not knowing where she is going to be even this time next week," he said.

Chief Julius school is expected to have two new teaching positions added next year. Murphy wonders if housing will become available before then.

"If you don't have housing for the teachers that you have now, where do you get housing for the other teachers that may be coming on stream?" he said.

Epstein warns that until an answer is found, the government will continue to waste money on recruitment efforts and student performances will suffer.

"Until an adequate solution to the housing problem is found the government will continue to spend millions of dollars moving new teachers in, and right back out again year after year ... and our students will pay the greatest price," she said.