Nunavik homeownership program difficult to work with

As stated in the Oct. 7 Nunatsiaq News article, home ownership programs have not worked in Nunavik.

I am currently building a house in the community of Kuujjuaq. I have been working in collaboration with the Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau on my project for approximately two years now, and I agree that the homeownership program is not working well.

In addition to the high construction costs, obtaining insurance, the high cost of utilities and competition from staff housing, the program itself holds several flaws that cause the program to be unsuccessful.

First, I believe the KMHB is not only difficult to work with, but I have had first-hand experience to say that they have discouraged me and almost prevented me from building my own house under the homeownership program.

Second, I believe that I am lucky to have been able to complete my project, since I really did not get much assistance when it came down to finding the resources and getting advice on the procedures for planning the project.

For example, I was told that it would cost me approximately $300 per square foot to build my house, when in fact it will only cost me a small fraction of that amount.

Third, in my opinion, the monetary aspect of the program still needs to be reviewed for a few reasons. One of those reasons being that as a 23-year-old future homeowner, I normally would only be permitted to build a one-bedroom home for eligibility reasons.

I do not have kids at the moment, but I am planning on having kids in the future. My main reason for building a house at my age is so that I will be prepared for the day I do get a wife and children. Therefore, this discourages young Nunavimmiut from wanting to build their own houses since they cannot take their future into consideration.

Another reason why I believe that the program discourages Nunavimmiut from building is that the allowable grant that is given is restricted to 85 per cent until the completion of the project. Not only is the KMHB grant restricted, but the bank also restricts the mortgage in a similar way.

Most of the expenses that are incurred during the construction of a house are done prior to the commencement of the construction. Therefore, this leaves the future homeowner with several thousands of dollars missing that must be spent in order to complete the project.

I do not agree with Mr. Fournier, when he mentions in the article that people always want to build houses larger than they need. Most households in Nunavik, whether they be social or private units, are overcrowded.

Housing remains and will remain a problems for several years to come, and I believe that it will not change until the KMHB’s management start making adjustments to the program.

Jonathan Grenier
Kuujjuaq