Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 17/01) - Rising rents and a lack of housing are causing staffing problems for the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board.

Deborah Mcleod, director of communications and planning for the board, said last week during a presentation to town council that the board is trying to cope with a worldwide shortage of healthcare professionals, and that as a result, more of its employees now are on short-term contracts.

Mcleod said that short-term employees tend to rent, not buy homes, and that here in town they're faced with a lack of units and rising rents. She brought up the issue before town council recently.

In a separate interview Monday, Mcleod gave a few examples of rental prices the board has tracked. A rowhouse that rented for $1,100 a month in January 2000 cost $1,200 this past February, and now rents for $1,350 -- an increase of 23 per cent.

As well, a one-bedroom apartment that rented for $850 per month in October 2000 cost $1,000 this past April, and is now off the market and being leased to an oil company for $2,000 a month.

The health board experienced a 31 per cent turnover from April 2000 to April 2001, of which 25 per cent was filled. Currently in Inuvik, 24 of 152 staff positions are vacant, and Mcleod said it's possible 30 vacancies will exist soon.

She described the current situation as a crunch, not a crisis, but said things could get worse.

"It's unpredictable when it would become an actual honest to goodness crisis," Mcleod said. "If we can't get OR staff, we can't operate an operating room. If we can't get a radiologist, we can't offer X-rays. So it could have very serious implications."

The board now advises job applicants that there is a housing issue here in town, and Mcleod pointed out this definitely hurts the board's chances of recruiting new people. She said the current uncertainty about rising rents also makes it harder to keep existing staff, who end up going somewhere with a better housing situation.

Students out of luck

Dr. Braam de Klerk said the student programs had to be cancelled this summer in Inuvik because of a lack of accommodations. He referred to the new hospital currently under construction, and said it's possible that facility won't be used to its full potential because of a lack of staff.

Mcleod said, "It's not that we feel like we're not able to offer good services to the town right now, but we can see it coming and we want to proactively address the issue."

Mcleod said the board, as a transfer agency, can't own or lease property, and that the territorial government refuses to get back into the housing market. "What they're telling us is it's a local issue and it has to be solved locally."

Mayor Peter Clarkson said the town may call a meeting soon on the housing issue so interested parties can work towards a solution.

"You're seeing a classic example of a resource development in town where things are so slow for so long, and then all of a sudden you have lots of activity, the demand for housing goes way up," Clarkson said.

He said the town was concerned a housing shortage might develop, and so this year developed 24 housing lots and 10 trailer lots.

So far this year the town has sold about $2 million worth of land, for both business and residential use. About 85 housing units are under construction within Inuvik.

The town is also pressuring the territorial government to include a single residence unit when the new Aurora College campus is built. Clarkson said the GNWT is going to do up designs so that the roughly $3 million residence could be built if funds are found.