woensdag, oktober 28, 2015

'Land issues' thwart new public housing units in Iqaluit 'Until the land issues in Iqaluit are solved, we cannot build any more houses,' says minister responsible


CBC
28-10-2015

Iqaluit is not getting any new public housing units this year, despite being ranked by the Nunavut Housing Corporation as the community most in need.

"Until the land issues in Iqaluit are solved, we cannot build any more houses," says the minister responsible, George Kuksuk.

Nunavut's social housing faces billion-dollar shortfall
The issue, Kuksuk says, is that the city doesn't have any lots ready to be developed for five- or 10-unit housing complexes.

MLAs started reviewing the 2016-2017 capital budget for Community and Government Services Tuesday.

When asked about the Iqaluit land issue, Community and Government Services Minister Johnny Mike said the city never contacted him about the problem.

Department officials said they will meet with the Nunavut Housing Corporation and the city to discuss concerns, and come up with a five-year strategy.

But George Hickes, the MLA for Iqaluit-Tasiluk, says it's too late. He says he understands the city is too cash strapped to develop lots, but more planning should have been done.

"I think there should have been more consultation with Community and Government Services, with the Nunavut Housing Corporation, with the city of Iqaluit, to recognize that this need was coming, that this situation was coming and get ahead of it," Hickes said.

"It seems everyone is in a reactive mode now and I don't think that's the right way of doing business."

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