The Nunavut Housing Corporation expects to build 52 new public housing units over the next year, and the majority of them will be in Iqaluit and Clyde River.

There are 22 units designated for the territorial capital, 15 for Clyde River, 10 for Taloyoak and five for Kinngait.

However, 31 of those residences are carried over from last year.

There are also 10 new staff housing units planned for 2022-SA国际影视传媒�23.

The cost per new housing unit is approximately $900,000 to $1.1 million, according to Lorne Kusugak, minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, while speaking in the Legislative Assembly on March 10.

SA国际影视传媒淭he cost of building housing units is going up, therefore the number of units being built decreases,SA国际影视传媒� Kusugak said, adding that the number of new builds for 2022-SA国际影视传媒�23 isnSA国际影视传媒檛 set in stone due to inflation possibly reducing the target. SA国际影视传媒淚t is a dire situation. We need more money for housing.SA国际影视传媒�

Iqaluit-Tasiluk MLA George Hickes was flabbergasted by the skyrocketing expenses.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 mind-boggling on how fast the construction costs have increasedSA国际影视传媒� I really, sincerely challenge you guys to find better ways of building,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 know we have to make sure that weSA国际影视传媒檙e building units that are going to last and we have to use good materials and good construction methods, but as far as ISA国际影视传媒檓 concerned right now, I donSA国际影视传媒檛 give a hoot whether we win a design award or some fancy award. I want to see energy-efficient units built as cheaply as possible so that we can house as many people every year as possible.SA国际影视传媒�

Kusugak agreed that cheaper alternatives to building houses must be identified, but there are many unanswered questions.

SA国际影视传媒淒o we build them year by year, or do we go into longer-term housing agreements? How do we do this? Do we get in the housing business, we the government? There are other options out there and we will be looking at them and we will be taking a very hard look at them and taking a look at industry and see where we go with this. Does it mean we get into partnerships and with whom?SA国际影视传媒� Kusugak asked rhetorically. SA国际影视传媒淲e are going to look for ways to build more houses in NunavutSA国际影视传媒� WeSA国际影视传媒檙e going to explore ways to do this because we canSA国际影视传媒檛 just build 52 houses or 21 houses a year and expect that to be good enough. There are options out there and we will explore them.SA国际影视传媒�

The housing corporationSA国际影视传媒檚 total capital budget for 2022-SA国际影视传媒�23 is $81.3 million, $51.5 million of which comes from the Government of Nunavut while the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation contributed $29.8 million.

Maintenance and improvement programs will be allotted $11.8 million for the upcoming fiscal year, $7 million will go toward mould clean-up, $4.5 million for home ownership programs, $4 million for repairs to fire damage and $1.35 million for vehicles for the NHC and local housing authorities.

Kusugak was asked whether the housing corp. has succeeded in forming partnerships with other entities, such as Inuit birthright organizations, to construct additional homes.

SA国际影视传媒淭here is no formal commitment of any kind at this time,SA国际影视传媒� the minister replied, adding that efforts are being made to improve communications with various parties.

Damages to homes

Hickes inquired about home repair programs and annual inspections carried out by local housing authorities because some housing units are in SA国际影视传媒減athetic shape.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭hat type of damage doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 occur in one year,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is a sad reality,SA国际影视传媒� Kusugak replied. SA国际影视传媒淭hese public housing units are not cheap and even when you see some of them through the media and some of the houses you do enter are in very sad shape. That just does not happen overnight. A lot of it is inflicted by the homeownerSA国际影视传媒� just the outright damage that is done to some of these units, willful damage.SA国际影视传媒�

Sometimes the occupants have to pay for those damages, he added.

Hickes said, SA国际影视传媒淚 totally agree with the minister that willful damage is a plague on our housing situation.SA国际影视传媒�

Kusugak also noted that some homes suffer rapid deterioration from being overcrowded. A two or three-bedroom house isnSA国际影视传媒檛 built for 10 or 12 people, he said. Having that many occupants in a household results in much higher use of floors, cupboards and other fixtures, so they wear out much faster, the minister explained.