Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Nov 15/02) - More social housing is required in Fort Providence, according to Chief Sam Gargan.

Gargan said there are vacant dwellings in the community that are being sold by the Housing Corporation instead of being used for low-rental units.

Sam Gargan: People who can afford to pay for a house get one.

"People that can afford to pay for (a house) get it. People who can't afford it are left out. It doesn't make for a good situation in this community," he said during the Deh Cho First Nations fall leadership assembly in Fort Providence on Oct. 30.

At Gargan's urging, his Deh Cho First Nations colleagues passed a motion calling on the Housing Corporation to make social housing a priority, and to ensure all vacant housing be filled by families in need immediately.

Allen Bouvier, manager of the Fort Providence Housing Association, said there is only one Northern Rental unit that is currently up for sale, but the remaining 22 will be sold as they are vacated. Those units are no longer funded by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Bouvier noted that the Northern Rentals, which were renovated in 1998-98, are selling for about $45,000.

"We have a lot of clients working up in the mines, young couples, they're interested in purchasing ... they want that house," Bouvier said, adding that some clients are trying to avoid a 20-25 year mortgage on a $100,000-$150,000 home.

"We're promoting home ownership," he said.

In addition, Bouvier said tenants with substantial incomes were paying as much as $600 to $900 monthly due to the sliding scale used in calculating rent for tenants.

As for those who are unemployed and have minimal income, "there's a lot of work (available) now," Bouvier said. "Just look at the communities. Who's all working in the mines now? There's quite a few now."

Gargan also claimed that Fort Providence residents in arrears are facing eviction. He acknowledged that tenants have a "duty" and "responsibility" to pay their rent, but said he does not agree with the eviction policy.

"In the community of Fort Providence, nobody is without income ... so there are ways of addressing it," he said, recommending garnisheeing wages, income tax, GST rebates, family allowance and even social assistance as means of collecting rent.

Although six tenants were evicted last year, nobody has faced eviction this year, Bouvier said.

The rental officer has, however, sent 24 tenants final orders to pay. Some of them owe thousands of dollars in arrears despite rent as low as $32 per month.

"We're giving them the opportunity to pay up," said Bouvier.