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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - In two days, Deborah Klengenberg will be in NWT Supreme Court fighting to keep her family off the streets.

"Friday is the day I'm going to court," she said. "What happens there? Who knows."

Deborah Klengenberg is surrounded by eight of her children and grandchildren in their Lanky Court townhouse. On Friday, Klengenberg will be in court fighting to stay in the residence. "I face being on the street with eight kids," she said. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

Klengenberg, a single mother, has spent the last eight years of her life in Yellowknife and has rented a four-bedroom unit in Lanky Court from Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust since late 2002. She watches over eight children - five of her own and three grandchildren.

Klengenberg's daughter-in-law and her two kids also live in the townhouse.

Northern Properties is applying for an eviction order with the Supreme Court after Klengenberg fell behind on her rent.

On Nov. 28 of last year, rental officer Hal Logsdon ordered Klengenberg to pay $1,900 in arrears or else her tenancy would be terminated and Northern Properties could seek an eviction order. She was ordered to pay $1,625 - a full month's rent - by Dec. 8 and $3,525 by Jan. 19, which included the present rent.

Klengenberg said she was in arrears from part of September 2008 and all of October 2008 after missing time at work.

"I was off work for a bit for medical issues and got really behind," she said. "It's really hard to keep up with bills and rent."

"I get behind every once in a while but I catch up."

Klengenberg said she met the deadline, but said Northern Properties is not agreeing with that. She said she has been asked by Northern Properties to leave the residence.

She said she had issued cheques in time for both dates, but her landlord did not cash the Jan. 19 cheque because it wasn't certified.

A regional manager at Northern Properties said federal privacy laws prevent the company from commenting on individual tenancy cases, but added the company would have no reason to proceed with the application if all obligations had been fulfilled by the tenant.

Klengenberg said she's had uncertified cheques cashed before. She only had one cheque bounce in 2003, she said.

She said she is paid up to date and the money from the Jan. 19 payment is still in her account.

"I haven't touched it," she said.

Klengenberg is a dispatcher for Diamond Cabs, and does some casual work for the NWT Bureau of Statistics. She said she is lucky to take home $2,000 a month.

However, that single income doesn't even cover her monthly rent and utility bills, which she said amounts to more than $2,500 per month these days.

"Rent is $1,625. Fuel is $575 a month. Water is $100 a month and power is now $500," she said.

"My child tax, which should go to the kids, goes to bills," she said.

This was evident around Christmas time, Klengenberg said with tears welling in her eyes. Without the charity of Yellowknifers, the holiday season would have been very dismal at her home.

"None of my kids can enter the sports they are (interested in) because I can't afford it," she said.

Klengenberg said she's been brought in front of the rental board three times with Northern Properties. The first complaint, heard on April 5, 2005, was withdrawn because she caught up in her rent immediately, she said.

An order warning her to pay future rent on time was issued.

With the second complaint, heard on Dec. 18, 2007, she owed more than $400. She paid that late, but a termination of tenancy order was not issued.

"This is the first time ever being in this situation," she said. "They could very well give me a date to say 'you are out.' So I face being on the street with eight kids, and there's just nowhere to go."

Klengenberg said the YWCA shelter doesn't have room for her and the eight kids and she's had her name in for a unit through Yellowknife public housing.

"I've been on the wait list for what feels like a millennium."

A worker at the Centre for Northern Families said its shelter does not take in people younger than 18.

Alison McAteer House is a family violence shelter and is not used for evictions, said Lyda Fuller, who added there are emergency units at Rockhill Apartments.

She suggested Klengenberg make use of the small community homelessness fund, where she can get help paying her arrears if she feels she can still live there.

"If she's got arrears but thinks she can afford to stay where she is if the arrears are paid off, she could have her case presented and see if she gets approval for the committee on that," said Fuller.

"We use that to try to prevent people from being evicted. Nobody wants to see a woman and eight kids out."

Klengenberg said there is a serious lack of affordable rental housing in the city.

"Everything is for sale," she said. "There is nothing for rent."

She said there used to be lease-to-purchase arrangements, but now she can't find anything like that.

As far as government help goes, she said she doesn't know what she's entitled to.

"I don't even know what's out there," she said.

On Tuesday morning, Logsdon said the amount of time given for an eviction can vary depending upon the circumstances of each case.

"I've seen them as short as forthwith and I've seen them delay it a month or so. It all depends on the circumstances put in front of the judge," he said.

Klengenberg's lease is up at the end of April. She said Northern Properties has the right to not re-sign the lease.

"Either way, they are going to get me out of there," she said.