Tootoo aims for fall start

Nunavut's housing minister hopes construction will begin this fall on 285 social housing units paid for with $100 million in federal funding.

Hunter Tootoo said this past Tuesday he hopes the Nunavut Housing Corporation will be able to order construction materials for this fall, and if not "it'll be ready to go on the first ship next year."

Last week, the housing corporation released the breakdown of how many housing units each community will get. The numbers range from a high of 20 in Iqaluit, Arviat and Baker Lake, to three units each for Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord.

Tootoo said the allocations are based on the total number of public housing clients in each community.

"The problem with using waiting lists is that each local housing organization determines who's eligible to apply and it's different in each community," he said.

The housing corporation has built a lot of multiplex units in recent years, Tootoo said, so the new batch of housing will consist of more single-family homes.

"That's what the communities have been asking for," he said.

Ottawa announced the $100 million in housing funds as part of its January federal budget that was meant to boost a shrinking Canadian economy. Yukon and the Northwest Territories each got $50 million under the plan.

Tootoo said he considers Nunavut's share an "installment payment" against the territory's chronic housing shortage.

"I think they [the federal government] realize the positive benefit and impact the investment in housing here in Nunavut has on the southern economy as well," he said.

The 2009 construction season will also see the last 200-plus units built under the Nunavut Housing Trust, funded by $200 million in federal money in the 2006 budget.

Fall should also see the start of a territory-wide housing survey that would paint a new picture of Nunavut's housing situation. It was to start in the spring, but was delayed because of problems finding enough workers, Tootoo said.

Who gets what

Housing unit allocations from the $100 million ­federal housing package:

• Iqaluit 20
• Baker Lake 20
• Arviat 20
• Rankin Inlet 16
• Igloolik 16
• Pangnirtung 15
• Pond Inlet 14
• Cape Dorset 14
• Kugluktuk 13
• Taloyoak 12
• Gjoa Haven 12
• Clyde River 12
• Cambridge Bay 12
• Sanikiluaq 11
• Repulse Bay 11
• Hall Beach 10
• Coral Harbour 10
• Arctic Bay 10
• Qikiqtarjuaq 9
• Kugaaruk 9
• Kimmirut 5
• Whale Cove 4
• Chesterfield Inlet 4
• Resolute Bay 3
• Grise Fiord 3