Fort Resolution (Nov 01/04) - A teacher says she would like to stay in Fort Resolution, but may be forced to leave because of housing problems.

That is despite five new three-bedroom mobile homes -- one in which the teacher now lives -- being brought to the community over the summer by the NWT Housing Corporation.

Fort Resolution teacher Kim McNaught and her daughter Kiara Doliwa stand in front of their rented mobile home. She says the three-bedroom unit is too big and too expensive. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Kim McNaught says the new homes do not offer enough choice -- a three-bedroom unit is too big and expensive for her as a single mother of a young daughter. She pays $1,100 rent, plus utilities, for a total of about $1,600 a month.

"If you have adequate housing and it's affordable, then teachers are definitely more likely to stay," she said, adding teachers -- almost all single -- were not consulted on their housing needs.

"I have thought of leaving, even before the end of this year, but I'm committed to my students," said McNaught, who is in her second year at Deninu school.

Another teacher arrived at the beginning of the school year, but left within a day after discovering how much rent he would have to pay.

Paul Boucher, vice-chair of the Fort Resolution District Education Authority, says he is happy the government brought in extra housing but he says it must be affordable.

Encouraging teachers to stay longer would help ensure quality education, he says. "It's assisting kids to bring up their grade levels."

Plus, he says Fort Resolution wants to be able to select teachers from a bigger pool and that requires suitable and affordable housing.

Boucher suggests the government lower the rent to $1,000 per month, utilities included.

"Call it an incentive," he suggested.

The new mobile homes were brought to Fort Resolution as part of the housing corporation's Market Housing Initiative.

In all, 22 three-bedroom units were moved to seven smaller communities this summer, at a cost of just over $2 million. Three ended up in Tulita, two in Fort Good Hope, five in Norman Wells, four in Lutsel K'e, one in Fort Providence and two in Fort Liard.

"There's a need in small communities to provide alternate housing solutions to keep people in the communities," says corporation president Fred Koe.

As for more choice in the units, he says, "That's something we've got to consider."

However, he says the corporation is not going to be able to meet the needs of every professional everywhere.

Cost-recovery basis

Koe says the units are rented on a cost-recovery basis, noting the government doesn't provide staff housing. "They're not cheap."

The units have not yet all been occupied, he notes. "The doors have first been opened in the last several weeks."

In Lutsel K'e, the units were damaged while being moved off a barge and are being repaired.

Under the two-year initiative, 20 more units will be considered for next year.