Public housing tenants worried about mould, sewage overflow

Public housing tenants George Qayaqjuaq and Josh Alorut are troubled by numerous deficiencies plaguing their residences, including extensive mould, and they say repeated complaints to the local housing organization havenSA国际影视传媒檛 resulted in action.

This is the mould in one of the three bedrooms in George QayaqjuaqSA国际影视传媒檚 A-frame public housing unit in Hall Beach. HeSA国际影视传媒檚 worried the extensive mould around the house is worsening his two-year-old grandsonSA国际影视传媒檚 asthma. SA国际影视传媒淲here I live is the worst house ever,SA国际影视传媒� says Qayaqjuaq. photo courtesy of George Qayaqjuaq

Qayaqjuaq and Alorut are also worried about possible effects on their familiesSA国际影视传媒� health. QayaqjuaqSA国际影视传媒檚 two-year-old grandson, who suffers from severe asthma, lives with him. Qayaqjuaq said he has a letter from a doctor that verifies his grandsonSA国际影视传媒檚 health issues, which could be exacerbated by mould. He passed the letter on to the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 housing committee three months ago, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey never respond or call back,SA国际影视传媒� said Qayaqjuaq.

Alorut and his spouse have four children, ranging from one to six years old. Each spring, members of the household suffer from itchiness and break out in rashes. Alorut said some nurses at the local health centre think mould could be the cause but others arenSA国际影视传媒檛 so sure. Either way, heSA国际影视传媒檚 concerned about flourishing mould under his home in a five-plex. The unitSA国际影视传媒檚 exhaust fan and ventilation system donSA国际影视传媒檛 work and none of the three crank-operated windows in the house will open. Although one window is shattered and thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a gap between the front door and the door frame, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 not proper air circulation, Alorut asserted.

SA国际影视传媒淚 tried telling housing staff to fix this, but (itSA国际影视传媒檚) never fixed,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 hazardous.SA国际影视传媒�

The cracked floor tiles are getting worse in Josh AlorutSA国际影视传媒檚 public housing unit in a Hall Beach five-plex. SA国际影视传媒淭his crack was very small when I moved in, now itSA国际影视传媒檚 opening,SA国际影视传媒� says Alorut. He says thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a major build up of mould under the floor and he believes it causes his family members to suffer from rashes and itchiness, especially in the spring. photo courtesy of Josh Alorut

Jerome Sheaves, manager of the Hall Beach Local Housing Organization (LHO), declined to comment on specific circumstances.

SA国际影视传媒淎ll that I can say is that all work orders are processed in a timely manner and we do the best that we can with the resources that we have to rectify the problems brought forth in front of us,SA国际影视传媒� Sheaves said, directing further questions to Nunavut Housing Corporation officials in Iqaluit.

Amittuq MLA Joelie Kaernerk said he plans to raise the predicaments of both tenants in the legislative assembly during the spring sitting, which starts this week.

SA国际影视传媒淚 will do everything I can to have these individualsSA国际影视传媒� concerns heard. This is a serious issue, especially the childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 health,SA国际影视传媒� Kaernerk stated to Nunavut News.

The exhaust fan and ventilation unit are broken in Josh AlorutSA国际影视传媒檚 residence in Hall Beach. Proper airflow is limited, although cold air blows in through a gap between the door and the door frame. SA国际影视传媒淵eah, itSA国际影视传媒檚 really cold in wintertime,SA国际影视传媒� Alorut says. photo courtesy of Josh Alorut

Terry Audla, president of the Nunavut Housing Corporation, said he encourages tenants to make repeated contact with their local housing organization if theySA国际影视传媒檙e certain housing deficiencies are impacting their lives or the structural integrity of the building.

SA国际影视传媒淚 encourage the tenant to keep the LHO informed. Call in and physically show up in the office and make sure that it gets addressed,SA国际影视传媒� Audla said. SA国际影视传媒淧ut emphasis where emphasis is needed.SA国际影视传媒�

Hall Beach has $247,000 designated for modernization and improvements of its public housing units in 2019-2020, according to Audla.

The Housing Corporation estimates 80 per cent of its 5,400 residences Nunavut-wide are affected by mould, but much of it is SA国际影视传媒渞elatively minor,SA国际影视传媒� Audla said. Approximately 60 to 70 per cent of public housing units have been inspected so far.

Local housing organizations have to prioritize urgent plumbing, heating and fuel tank issues before they deal with mould, particularly smaller incidences SA国际影视传媒� within a 70 cm by 30 cm area. In those cases, tenants can wipe away the mould themselves with household cleansers or even soap and water, Audla said. Mould on the outside of units isnSA国际影视传媒檛 as pressing as mould inside, he added.

SA国际影视传媒淎t some point they (LHO staff) will get to addressing the mould remediation aspect,SA国际影视传媒� he said, adding that mould removal training has been provided to housing maintainers in communities and new homes have improved ventilation to prevent mould.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 not reassuring for Qayaqjuaq, who not only has extensive mould but his sewer tank has overflowed on multiple occasions SA国际影视传媒� again on May 19 SA国际影视传媒� and itSA国际影视传媒檚 not due to a lack of pump outs by the hamlet, he said. As well, smoke escapes inside the house from the chimney, heating fuel is dripping onto the floor and the leaky windows allow rain to pool in the sills.

SA国际影视传媒淭his house needs major renovation,SA国际影视传媒� Qayaqjuaq said. SA国际影视传媒淲here I live is the worst house ever.SA国际影视传媒�

Another mouldy bedroom wall in George QayaqjuaqSA国际影视传媒檚 residence in Hall Beach. He says he was told the unit was renovated before he moved in a year-and-a-half ago, but only cardboard-like material with a coat of paint was put in place, which masked the mould, according to Qayaqjuaq. The floor of his sewage room and the area under his kitchen sink are also mouldy, he says. photo courtesy of George Qayaqjuaq

2705housingN1 — photo courtesy of George Qayaqjuaq This is the mould in one of the three bedrooms in George Qayaqjuaq's A-frame public housing unit in Hall Beach. He's worried the extensive mould around the house is worsening his two-year-old grandson's asthma. "Where I live is the worst house ever," says Qayaqjuaq. photo courtesy of George Qayaqjuaq

2705housingN3 — The cracked floor tiles are getting worse in Josh Alorut's public housing unit in a Hall Beach five-plex. "This crack was very small when I moved in, now it's opening," says Alorut. He says there's a major build up of mould under the floor and he believes it causes his family members to suffer from rashes and itchiness, especially in the spring. photo courtesy of Josh Alorut

2705housingN4 — The exhaust fan and ventilation unit are broken in Josh Alorut's residence in Hall Beach. Proper airflow is limited, although cold air blows in through a gap between the door and the door frame. "Yeah, it's really cold in wintertime," Alorut says. photo courtesy of Josh Alorut

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Public housing tenants worried about mould, sewage overflow

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