'It's never going to be enough' says MLA
Every community in dire need of housing
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, November 21, 2016
NUNAVUT
The critical housing shortage in the territory is met with a mix of resignation and frustration.
Pond Inlet is one of the many communities facing a housing shortage. - Casey Lessard/NNSL photo |
"It's never going to be enough," says Tununiq MLA Joe Enook. "Unless you live it, you see it, you visit the houses where there are 12 people in a two-bedroom house you don't appreciate what it means."
On one hand, people like Enook, Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt, and Pond Inlet Housing Association manager Louis Primeau understand it's a numbers game - in a situation where every community is in need and funding is short.
"As of March 31, 2016, there were about 80 people (in Sanikiluaq) on the wait list for housing. I should note that a fair number of communities have over 80 people on the wait list," said Rumbolt.
"The community does its part, by the (local housing authority) ensuring that the wait list is kept current and the information is passed on to the Nunavut Housing Corporation (NHC) for analysis. The NHC seems to have a good system in place to see what communities are in most need and working with the budget they are allocated to provide housing in the communities."
On the other hand, crisis comes from crisis.
"There are all kinds of housing issues," said Primeau. "From somebody trying to run away from spousal assault and there's no emergency housing anywhere or a situation where somebody is coming back from being in jail, maybe for child molestation or something, and if we don't allocate him a house he's going to force himself back into the family where he committed his offences."
Rumbolt says there is no consistent construction.
"The needs list is always changing from year to year. A community may be high on the list one year and fall down the list the next year, depending on the number of units built and wait list changes from communities," he said.
Sanikiluaq last received a five-plex in 2014, and is slated to receive 15 units in 2017-18, another five units in 2018-19. They will also receive two staff units next year.
Local housing authorities, run by boards and their staff, are even closer to the issues arising from the housing crisis than MLAs. In Pond Inlet, for example, the seven-member board meets monthly, with special meetings and committee meetings as required. The board has oversight of the operations and maintenance of the association and makes recommendations regarding allocation decisions to the housing corporation.
Primeau, who has worked as housing manager in Pond Inlet since 2011, was hesitant to speak. It's a fine balance - being appreciative of new housing units while dealing with the reality of the shortage.
He says the numbers on the waiting list change. Applicants must renew every six months and if they fail to do so, they fall off the list. There are currently 68 on the list with a potential 89 who need to apply officially, for a total need of 157. That's up four since the last comprehensive sign up took place in September 2014 with a need of 153.
Pond Inlet has received 25 units in the last few years and should get another 10 in 2018-19.
"There are whole groups of people who have been on the waiting list for years," said Primeau. "For example, if you happen to be a single person, good luck trying to get accommodation. That person can stay on the list for 12, 13, 14, 15 years. If you're living in a shed or couch-surfing for 10 to 12 years, what would your level of frustration be?"
Some of the frustration felt by those on waiting lists can get dumped on the board and staff.
"There are all sorts of things that come up. More than you can imagine. People will come to our board meeting and they will cry about what their own personal situation is," Primeau said. "While you have empathy for them, it's no different from anybody else on the waiting list. There's lots of problems. No doubt about it."
Part of Enook's frustration is that while there are many people on the waiting list for housing in Pond Inlet, there are empty staff units.
"There are units that have sat empty forever (since about 2000) because each department is only assigned whatever housing units they are assigned. It is strange how they allocate staff housing."
Enook says there are eight empty houses.
Meanwhile, one government position couldn't be filled because there is no housing.
"But there is housing. That's exactly what I've been bitching about for years."
Enook sighs.
"It just bothers me tremendously when, for example - and I understand sometimes staff need to share accommodation - yet, we had a teacher that left Pond Inlet last year, a very likeable teacher, part of the community ... he left because he had been in a shared situation for one or two years. But on both sides of his shared unit were two empty houses. They can't be utilized because they belong to somebody else," said Enook.
According to corporation numbers there are 41 vacant government positions in Pond Inlet - which would actually require 30 additional dedicated units built. It also acknowledges the system can be confusing as several government departments are involved.
"The (corporation) coordinates the staff housing process with the Department of Finance, as well as other departments," said president Terry Audla. "A certain number of staff housing units are held vacant for active competitions to ensure that if a position is filled, it can be assigned a unit, and government services can be delivered."
Audla adds the newly released Blueprint for Action on Housing "will attempt to address issues of staff housing and meeting the needs of GN employees, including a systematic review of existing staff housing policies."
Enook has also asked to have the empty staff housing reallocated temporarily for social housing, to no avail.
"I see all these government staff housing units sitting empty and rotting away while we have 15 to 20 people living in one housing unit," he said.
"According to the know-it-all people in the government departments we have no homeless people in Pond Inlet. My definition of homeless and their definition of homeless are two completely different versions of what homelessness means."
Enook describes people living in other people's homes.
"According to the wisdom of government people, they're not homeless because they're inside somebody's house," he said. "In my humble opinion you are homeless if you don't have a roof over your head you can call your own, social housing or otherwise. Just because somebody is kind enough to put you up in their furnace room or their laundry room, or on the floor of their living room, apparently you're fine."
Primeau confirms some people live in porches, on a mattress or just on the floor in a sleeping bag. He also says there are people living in a shed or "something equivalent to a shed."
Enook says even when one unit becomes available and a few people leave an overcrowded house, that house will in most cases remain overcrowded.
"Like many other communities, we have such a large number of people living in overcrowded houses."
