The community that 'never gave up' on empty homes amid a housing shortage

As brand-new homes sit empty in the N.W.T., and people are left wondering why they're on a waiting list for 15 years, living in homes with rotten floors and mouldy walls, one community has a success story on how to beat "the system."

Colville Lake, N.W.T., had three empty houses in their community more than 10 years ago designated for people who meet a certain financial criteria by the N.W.T. Housing Corporation.

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"The way the system is, if you don't qualify, then too bad," says Joseph Kochon, the senior administrative officer in Colville Lake. "They're stricken with their policies, so it got pretty frustrating."

A lot of young families at the time "didn't make enough money" to rent the homes, he said.

Step up and do something, rather than just leaving it the way it is.- Joseph Kochon

With the Housing Corporation's rigid criteria, Kochon said the community took the matter into their own hands: "Why don't we entertain the idea of purchasing these units off of [the] Housing Corporation?"

The idea was brought to the band council at the time, and it was approved. The band purchased the homes for roughly $100,000 each, said Kochon.

The process took some time, but eventually the band owned the homes and allowed localyoung families to move in.

Bernard's story

Bernard Blancho had just got off the winter road one morningwhen he got news that his family was selected to move into one of the units.

"I just ran home, grabbed my little boys, and yeah, we just started hauling the stuff there by lunch time," recalled Blancho.

They've been living there for nearly five years now.

"Before that, I was trying to get into housing but they told me I had to go over $80,000 a year," he said. His young family was forced to stay living in an "old house" with no running water and furnace.

"Pretty happy there!" said Blancho, who said he doesn't "have stress" about housing costs. He pays a monthly lease of $500.

Lessons to learn

Amid a serious housing shortage in the territory, Kochon recommends communities "step up and do something, rather than just leaving it the way it is."

He said it was "pretty frustrating" finding a way around the Housing Corporation's policies,but in the end, it was worth it to see relief for members of his community.

"It was a really overwhelming experience," said Kochon.

"To see families having a house, just getting some thank yous from even their children that they have a roof over their shoulders was really good."

He recommends communities to work with the leadership in finding the right ideas and solutions that work for the community.

"Never give up," he said.

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