One hundred homes by early 2007

JOHN THOMPSON

The Government of Nunavut plans to ship more than $11 million in housing supplies north this sealift season, but most residents won’t hear the hammering of nails until early next year.

Those supplies will build about 100 units, spread across each community in the territory, according to housing minister Olayuk Akesuk.

On Tuesday, Akesuk said in the legislature that most communities will see an extra five-plex built over the next two years, except for Grise Fiord, Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet, which will see duplexes built.

Ninety of those homes would be public housing. Material for the other 10 homes would be used by residents building houses under the Material Assistance Program.

Construction of those homes should begin in early 2007, Akesuk said.

The $11.25 million comes from a $200 million Northern Housing Trust set up by the federal government, in response to arrangements announced last November by the former prime minister, Paul Martin, in Kelowna, B.C.

At Kelowna, the outgoing Liberal government promised to meet 35 per cent of Nunavut’s housing need within five years. The $200 million promised by the Conservatives meets less than 20 per cent of Nunavut’s need.

Still, it’s plenty more than what the GN could build by itself. Before the Kelowna deal, the GN had plans to spend $5 million on housing this year, which would build about 20 units.

Akesuk said on Tuesday he considers the $200 million promised by the Conservative government to be a “down payment” on the rest of the money promised by the former Liberal government.

The anticipated $200 million won’t flow from the federal government until this fall. And most of that money won’t be spent by the GN until 2007 or 2008.

Before that happens, the Nunavut Housing Corporation will spend this summer assessing each community’s housing needs, as well as training and apprenticeship opportunities, Akesuk said.

As of Tuesday, the $11 million in supplies had yet to be approved by the legislature.

That won’t happen until a supplementary appropriation, tabled by finance minister David Simailak on Monday, is approved, which would give the Nunavut Housing Corporation $11.25 million more in capital spending for this year.