DENINU KUE/FORT RESOLUTION - A resident of Fort Resolution who is living in crowded quarters with her children says her community is facing a housing crisis.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her family has developed allergies because of chronic mould growth in their home.

"The housing issue here is really bad," she said.

Tom Beaulieu, MLA for Tu Nedhe, said the issue of housing has existed for many years and it is "the number one issue" in his constituency.

"An elder complained to me when I was elected four years ago about a leaking roof in his home, and this year the government is finally fixing his roof, but now (because of the delay) his home is full of mould and has become unsuitable to live in," Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu spoke about the housing issue on May 12 at the NWT's legislative assembly when he asked for approximately $2.9 million in funding to be re-allocated to finance housing repairs in the territory.

The GNWT's 2011-12 financial estimates state the amount of money allocated to housing repairs had been reduced to $5.6 million from $8.5 million, he said.

In his address to the assembly, Beaulieu also stated 80 per cent of small Northern communities have housing adequacy issues, and cited part of the reason housing issues are not being resolved in smaller Northern communities is because of poor communication. He suggested delivery staff and program officers go "door to door" to visit elders when the GNWT is considering new housing programs for small Northern communities.

Robert McLeod, the minister responsible for the housing corporation, said going door to door would require a great deal of time and resources, and said those residents who want work done on their residential units should continue to contact the NWT Housing Corporation to arrange visits.

As far as Beaulieu is concerned, nothing has changed.

"The main issue (for Tu Nedhe) is the NWT Housing Corporation has an unclear strategy when it comes to addressing the core housing need in small territorial communities," the MLA said at the beginning of the month.

Beaulieu explained that across the NWT, people are living in homes in need of major repair and many of the homes are too small.

"The (NWT) Housing Corporation does not address the fact that universal programs, which are created to address the core housing need of larger communities do not work in small communities," he said.

"It does not take poor people into account"

What drives the core housing need in small communities in the North is actually the employment rate," Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu said the working age of 15 to 65 which is associated with mainstream government housing programs doesn't work in small Northern communities such as Fort Resolution.

"Many people in these communities are uneducated, or are stay at home with their mothers, and don't really achieve a proper income until they are near the end of that age bracket, so they have no money, and as a result it (affording the cost of housing) doesn't work," Beaulieu said.

"With the way it stands right now, most people cannot afford to repair their houses," he said.

"It's a vicious cycle."

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