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Housing units for 12 communities in 2014 Repulse Bay Housing Association working to get family of 22 alternative housing
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 23, 2013
NUNAVUT
The $100 million Nunavut received from the federal government for public housing will be used to build units in 12 communities.
The 200-plus buildings will be distributed between Iqaluit, Repulse Bay, Arviat, Clyde River, Coral Harbour, Kugluktuk, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Whale Cove, Taloyoak, Cambridge Bay and Iglulik.
The Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC) has acquired land for the homes and is working on site preparation this year, stated NHC president Alain Barriault in an e-mail to Nunavut News/North.
"Public tenders will be issued this fall for construction commencing after sealift in 2014," he added.
Nunavut received $30 million from the federal government this year to support new affordable housing across the territory and will receive another $70 million next year.
It will be used to build at least 210 units.
"Subject to bid results and land costs, we may or may not be able to deliver additional units," said Barriault.
The NHC has allocated the units based on a formula that takes into account wait lists and existing stock in the communities.
For example, Iqaluit has a wait list for 267 units and its existing public housing stock is 496 units.
This means it's wait list percentage is about 54 per cent, so it needs about five additional houses for every 10 it has currently.
Overcrowding is a growing issue in Nunavut and, although the new homes will help, it won't be enough to solve the problem.
To alleviate the problem, Nunavut would need 3,500 additional units and another 90 would have to be built every year to keep up with the territory's growing needs.
"We are in that dire situation right now," Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak told the legislative assembly earlier this month.
"It is something that we will have to keep lobbying the federal government on, at all times."
In Repulse Bay there is a family of 22 people - 17 children and five adults - living in a four-bedroom house.
However, Barriault said it is a bit of a unique situation and the Repulse Bay Housing Association (RBHA) is aware of the problem.
The association is in the process of finding them alternative housing.
"I personally met with the RBHA board of directors on Aug. 28 and am satisfied that they are doing the best that they can with the units available to them," stated Barriault.
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