KRG debates for hours on 82 new units

TASIUJAQ – Dividing up a crumb among the hungry poses a problem for people used to sharing.

This explains why councillors with the Kativik Regional Government, who met last week in Tasiujaq, spent hours trying to decide which six Nunavik communities will get some badly-needed new social housing units in 2010.

The council finally determined that next year's allotment of 82 units, each with two two-bedroom units, will be split among the six communities with the greatest need and those that have seen no new social housing construction for the past two years.

The decision means that in 2010, Puvirnituq will get 24 new units, Kangiqsujuaq and Inukjuak 16 new units, Salluit 10 new units, Akulivik eight, and Aupaluk four.

But even this decision was the result of the KRG council's inability to decide how to divvy up the social housing units.

Their result of their final vote had to be decided by a draw in a baseball cap due to a seven-seven tie among councillors.

KRG council speaker Andy Moorhouse reminded the meeting that Nunavimmiut always closely follow the "big emotional issue" of allocating social housing – although this time, they couldn't follow it live on the Taqramiut Nipingat Inc. radio network, which did not carry a live broadcast of the debate.

"I want, I want, I want" housing was the theme of many comments around the table, as one councillor remarked.

Making his case for more social housing, Peter Angnatuk, who is also the mayor of Tasiujaq, said 18 residents of his community need housing.

"It's not a question of greed – it's a need," he said.

Overall, Nunavik needs 752 new social housing units, according to information tabled at the meeting by the Kativik Regional Housing Bureau.

The communities with the greatest lack of housing are Inukjuak and Puvirnituq, which both need 187 units, and Salluit, which needs 100 units.

This year, a total of 99 units will be built in Inukjuak, Ivujivik, Kangqisualujjuaq, Kuujjuaraapik, Puvirnituq, Salluit and Umiujaq.

Four units will also go up in Kangiqsualujjuaq to house tenants being evicted from a building slated for a $3.8 million transformation into a "multifunctional accommodation centre."

This centre will include 11 housing units for elders, five units for people with disabilities, common areas equipped with kitchens, and two adapted transition units for people recovering from illness, awaiting renovations to their homes or who are victims of violence.

The KMHB also plans to carry out $51 million worth of renovations to its 2,190 stock of housing units.

At the KRG meeting, councillors also approved a resolution that will allow the KRG executive to negotiate a new five-year agreement on social housing construction with the federal and provincial governments.

The current agreement, which expires next March 31, was worth $14.2 million in 2009. Quebec also gave $25 million in 2007 for social housing construction, enough to pay for 50 new units.

The announcement of the new multi-million-dollar social housing program was expected at a March 6 meeting in Montreal, but this was postponed until a Nunavik housing forum could take place.

This forum is now scheduled for June 25, but could be put off again until the autumn.

The new deal, which will involve the federal and provincial governments as well as Makivik Corp., may give Nunavik as much as $130 million more over five years. This would allow the construction of about 200 units a year in Nunavik.