Two weeks after the non-profit locked out its employees, Wood Buffalo Housing (WBH) published its assessment report compiled from last fall.
President and CEO of WBH, Henry Hunter said a lot has changed in the region as current economic developments have increased the need for subsidized housing.
One of the goals of this report is to gain support for increased funding for housing from the province.
“One of the hardest things we’ve had to do on a daily basis at Wood Buffalo Housing is tell a person who is struggling financially that they have to sit on a waitlist for an undetermined amount of time before we can house them, simply because they cannot afford the rent without a subsidy and our provincial deficit-funding is depleted.”
An increasing number of residents in the region can’t afford high market rent rates.
As a matter of fact, housing pressure is worse on those earning less than $40,000 per year.
Wood Buffalo residents making $70,000 per year are also likely facing tough housing decisions.
As a result, the rent money going to WBH decreased putting them in a deficit every year since 2014.
Without subsidies or provincial funding, the non-profit is in a tough spot covering expenses.
“We’ve had a lot of people question why we can’t just reduce our rates to the subsidized level to fill our vacancy,” Hunter said. “WBH doesn’t receive any provincial or municipal funding for approximately 90% of our total units; those fall under our affordable housing program.”
Rural commitments
WBH must meet the needs of their residents in the region’s rural communities.
Discussions with Métis groups about finding long-term solutions for housing started in 2017.
The assessment report finds 70 units in Fort Chipewyan require repairs or renovation.
Also, in the battle against homelessness in Fort McKay, the town requires at least 22 more units.
However, plans are underway in Conklin for 36 additional units specifically for singles and single-parent families.
This is in response to a 2006 study, which identified the need for 46 housing units within the rural hamlet.
“We have been looking at ways WBH can help in providing land and development in these areas,” Hunter said, “but first we need to ensure that once the structures are built the people of the community can afford to live in them and maintain them.”
Henry Hunter says the WBH and stakeholders will bring the assessment to the province’s attention.
They will also ask about an increase to deficit-funding for Wood Buffalo.
