Half of tenants displaced by Iqaluit fire find new homes

Nunavut Housing Corp. says work continues to move the rest out of hotels; GN lists support available for fire victims

Only rubble remains on scene at 1088 Mivvik St. in Iqaluit on Tuesday, where a devastating fire Jan. 8 destroyed the three-storey Noble House apartment complex. (Photo by Daron Letts)

By Daron Letts

The Nunavut Housing Corp. said Tuesday it has found homes for tenants who lived in 19 of the 36 units that were destroyed in the Jan. 10 fire that levelled the Noble House apartment complex in Iqaluit.

For residents who were living in the 17 other occupied residential units at 1088 Mivvik St., temporary accommodations have been found at hotels and other places.

“Our team is working diligently to ensure the remaining tenants are rehomed as quickly as possible,” Alexandria Webb, senior communications officer with Nunavut Housing Corp., said in an email to Nunatsiaq News Tuesday.

Most of the building’s residential tenants were living in government staff housing. Several businesses as well as MP Lori Idlout also had offices there.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which remains under investigation by the Iqaluit fire department with support from the Nunavut Fire Marshal’s office and Iqaluit RCMP.

“Efforts are ongoing to transition tenants from hotels into more permanent accommodations as soon as suitable units become available,” Webb said.

“This process involves carefully co-ordinating timelines, preparing the units, and ensuring they meet the needs of the tenants.”

Students at Joamie School share words of support with displaced tenants from the Noble House fire last week. (Photo by Daron Letts)

Displaced tenants began moving into other housing units last weekend.

Tenants who were not relocated to hotels can phone the housing corporation’s emergency contact line at 867-222-1304 if they have arranged alternate temporary accommodations, require a hotel room, or need further assistance.

Webb said the housing corporation is collaborating with Northview REIT, the building owner, to secure long-term housing for families and individuals who lost their homes to the fire.

As well, the housing corporation worked alongside two members of the Canadian Red Cross and the City of Iqaluit to find shelter and supplies for tenants who lost their homes.

“Support was provided through electronic financial transfers and prepaid cards,” said Jason Small, a Canadian Red Cross spokesperson.

“At this time, (Red Cross) support has concluded for everyone who registered for assistance.”

The housing corporation is leading the Government of Nunavut’s effort to assist staff who lost their homes.

The GN announced last week that funding through its Emergency Income Assistance program can help people replace essential items such as clothing, toiletries, food, baby bottles and formula, and other necessities.

All Nunavummiut can apply, regardless of whether they are current Income Assistance clients.

People affected by the Noble House can visit the Income Assistance office in building 607, phone 867-975-5278, or email AOqallak@gov.nu.ca for support.

The GN said anyone who lost their driver’s licence or general identification card in the fire can visit the Department of Motor Vehicles office at building 1104-C to receive a certified true copy of the documents to use as government-issued photo identification until a replacement card arrives.

The territorial government also said that any residents who are struggling with their mental health or who know someone is struggling can reach a counsellor by phoning 867-975-5900.

 

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(7) Comments:

  1. Posted by Mit on

    Funny how they find housings for Gn workers less then a week after the fire but locals can be homeless for 10 years on wait list?

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    • Posted by Tragic on

      36 families lost their homes in the Noble House fire.
      But they all still have their GN jobs.
      However, there were about 360 homeless families in Iqaluit the day before the Noble House fire, many of these also have GN jobs.
      How many of the 360 have been provided with housing in the past week?

      I don’t think “funny” is quite the word I would use.

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      • Posted by Get lost on

        The word funny can mean “difficult to explain or understand; strange or odd.” Don’t treat us like fools with the childish use of manipulative language.

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    • Posted by Oh for god’s sake… on

      You don’t know who the people are. Don’t stoke division by assuming all the GN workers in the apartments were southerners. Some of them probably are, some of them probably aren’t. Some of the families might be mixed Inuit and southerner, and have kids who, regardless of their heritage, just lost everything and don’t deserve your scorn. The fire is a tragedy. The high rate of homelessness in Nunavut is also a tragedy. Both deserve attention, but especially the people who have lost everything but the clothes on their backs in that fire.

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    • Posted by Umingmak on

      These people are workers with the required education, experience and other qualifications to fill essential roles with the GN. This includes folks like teachers and nurses. The GN already struggles to recruit these people, and these qualifications are scarce to non-existent amongst Nunavummiut, hence the need to provide housing as an incentive for people with those qualifications to move to Nunavut.

      If you oppose these people being given staff housing, then please don’t even try to complain about the teacher shortage, the lack of infrastructure, long waits for medical appointments, etc.

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    • Posted by 180 on

      The difference is the GN workers are just that, they are workers and get housing with their jobs or they pay expensive rent. Funny that the only ones that complain are the ones that expect free housing and do not work.

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