Draft GN Housing Categories & FAQs

ON-RESERVE HOUSING On-Reserve houses fall into three categories. Here are some of the differences between them:

Description

CMHC HOUSES

BAND-OWNED HOUSES

CMHC provides a mortgage to the Band to build a house.

Once the house is built, the Band charges rent to pay back the mortgage.

Once the CMHC mortgage is paid off on a house, either by the tenant paying rent to the Band, or (if the tenant is in arrears) the Band paying the mortage down, it becomes band-owned.

Once the mortgage is paid off (which may be by one renter, or several renters, over the course of the mortgage) the tenant has the option of purchasing the house, and all responsibility for it, for $1.00, at which time the house becomes individual-owned.

What happens if renovations are needed?

If they don’t want to buy the house, they can keep paying rent, and the house becomes a band-owned house.

Tenants talk to Lorna Henderson to apply for funding to do renovations from CMHC. Minor repairs may be done quickly, depending on urgency and available funds. Major repairs may take longer to receive funding.

What about insurance?

The Band pays for the insurance

Who assigns these houses?

The Housing Committee, if there is one, makes recommendations to Chief & Council, who make the final decision.

You must submit a housing application to Lorna Henderson or the Housing Committee. Your application must be renewed every year

How can I get one of these houses?

The Band will continue to charge rent, either to pay down the mortgage that the Band has paid for, or to save funds for future renovations & replacement.

Tenants request renovations from Les Taylor, who then goes through the housing office.

Minor repairs are done based on urgency & available funds. For major repairs applications must be sent to AANDC (INAC) for funding, which may take a long time The Band pays for the insurance The Housing Committee, if there is one, makes recommendations to Chief & Council, who make the final decision.

You must submit a housing application to Lorna Henderson or the Housing Committee. Your application must be renewed every year

INDIVIDUAL-OWNED HOUSES People who purchase their homes for $1.00 once the mortgage is paid off, or who build their own homes, have individual-owned houses. The Band has no responsibility for these houses.

Tenants are responsible for all renovations

Tenants must pay for insurance, unless on S.A., when it may be partly covered The owner

If you are already a tenant, you pay rent until the mortgage on your home is paid, at which time you can buy it for $1.00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: I live off-reserve. How can I get a house on-reserve?

A: Fill out a housing application form and submit it to Lorna Henderson or the Housing Committee.

The forms are available on the Band’s website at www.gwanak.info/downloads/gn-housingapplication.pdf. You must follow up on your application every year to keep it current.

Q: How is it decided who gets a house and who doesn’t?

A: Once housing applications are received they go to the bottom of the list of applicants. Applicants may be moved up on the list based on whether or not they are an elder, have a family, or have a disability. As new houses are built they are allocated to the next person on the list by Chief & Council.

Q: How is it decided who gets renovations and who doesn’t?

A: As you can see from the table above, renovations are complicated by the type of house it is. CMHC and AANDC have different categories of renovations, with different application processes and funding amounts, which all affect the types of renovations that get done. Another factor is the time of year, which may affect how much money is available for renovations. Lorna keeps track of who is in need of renovations and who has received them. Tenants that are in arrears, or have a poor record of home maintenance, may have to wait longer to receive renovations.

Q: How come it takes so long to get houses built?

A: Because so many people don’t pay their rent and are in arrears. Every year when the Band is audited, if we are in arrears on our mortgages, CMHC may choose not to give us money for new houses until we pay off more of the old ones. The more people that pay their rent, the more new houses we can build and the more renovations we can do.

Q: I’m frustrated about our housing situation. What can I do?

A: You can write your frustrations in a letter to the housing department or to Chief & Council, or you can choose to take part in the Housing Committee.