SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Dettah man living in public housing wants more done to deal with the drainage problem underneath his home.

David Giroux said the lack of drainage under his home is causing mould and fungus flourish there, which has led to health problems for his 11-year-old son Wilfred.

"We didn't have a clue why he was so sick all the time," Giroux said.

"His health has been affected and he's missed a lot of school because of it."

Giroux said his son was coughing all the time and after giving him some allergy medicine, the coughing stopped.

He said his son has been tested for allergies, which found Wilfred has mould and fungus allergies.

According to Giroux, the drainage problem leaves water sitting there for months on end.

"The spring run-off from the hill, it goes underneath the house," he said. "There is a severe stale smell, like dead water."

He said the Yellowknives Housing Authority, which owns the house, put a pump tank under the house and installed a culvert to drain it down to the lake, but the problem has yet to be fixed.

"They've attempted to remedy it, the problem is they didn't do enough. They didn't put proper ventilation underneath the house in the summer months to get the dampness out."

Giroux said the housing authority is refusing to do anything about the problem until he pays the $13,000 his family owes for rent.But Stephan Folkers, housing manager for the authority, said this isn't the case. He said his office is addressing the issue as quickly as it can, and isn't holding the outstanding rent over Giroux's head.

"We are aware of (the run-off problem)," Folkers said, adding it's a common problem among a number of public housing units in the community.

Folkers said health and safety related calls for maintenance are always prioritized.

"We've aerated the place and we're looking at getting some permanent vents installed," Folkers said.

"To keep the moisture out has posed a challenge. We ventilate the areas as best we can, but mould does appear, we don't deny that.

"We're strapped for resources just like everybody else. It may not get done when he wants it to get done, but definitely, you know, the work order has been issued and we'll tend to it. We've spoken to him about it but I guess he just feels it's not being done soon enough."

Folker added he would look at speeding up the work order to get the problem taken care of.

As for the $13,000 in outstanding rent.

Folkers said it's a matter of Giroux contacting the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in Yellowknife to apply for a public housing rent subsidy on a monthly basis.

He said if Giroux gets approved, the housing authority will backdate the outstanding amount.