Senior living in backyard camper struggles to find emergency housing in Fort Resolution, N.W.T.

Sandra Peterson has been living in a camper in her daughter's backyard in Fort Resolution, N.W.T., since mid-August when she left what she described as an abusive relationship in British Columbia.

Martina Jerome has been trying to get her mother into a Fort Resolution Housing Authority unit since September, when temperatures started to drop, but they've run into one roadblock after another. 

Jerome said she runs a kennel out of her home and has seven dogs of her own, so she doesn't have room to accommodate Peterson and her small dog, named Baby.

According to the Fort Resolution Housing Authority's residential policy, an applicant is required to have lived in the community for six months before being put on a wait list for housing.

But Jerome said she spoke with a program adviser with Housing NWT based in Hay River who told her that in the past, the housing authority has made exceptions based on emergency situations.

"We understand there is a waiting period but this is an emergency circumstance. First, they told us it was three months, now they are saying it's a six-month wait," Jerome said.

Meanwhile, she said, an elder's housing residence has been sitting empty for more than a year in the hamlet. When she asked why her mother couldn't occupy the empty home, Jerome said she was told by the Fort Resolution Housing Authority that it was reserved for another resident.

"They keep making excuses," said Jerome.

Looking for community support

Jerome has also been collecting support letters in the hope that they will encourage the housing authority to allow her mother to move into the empty residence.

So far, she has support letters from Fort Resolution Mayor Patrick Simon, Deninu Kue First Nation Chief Louis Balsillie, Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon, and Lida Blesse, a community wellness worker with the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Simon, Balsillie and Edjericon all mention in their letters a housing unit that has been sitting empty for more than a year.

Edjericon goes on to say Peterson has been living with no operating plumbing, water or flushing toilets. The furnace is not working, and she has been using space heaters in the trailer.

A video submitted by Jerome shows a propane oven door propped open as a source of heat. In the video, Jerome acknowledges how dangerous that is.

"Peterson is 77 years old, who is entitled as a senior to live comfortably with functioning amenities especially if there is a [government]-funded unit available for her to move into immediately," wrote Edjericon.

Jerome reached out to Paulie Chinna, the minister responsible for Housing NWT, for help. Although she did not receive a support letter, she did hear back from a staffer in Chinna's office, who said they were working on an update.

Response from Housing NWT

Housing NWT said they cannot comment on specific client files but can explain how clients are assessed and the procedures that help keep the allocation of units fair and transparent.

In an emailed statement, a departmental spokesperson said "all units ready for occupancy are being processed in accordance with policy. If a unit is empty, it has either been allocated and waiting for the person to move in or it requires repairs."
 
The spokesperson also added public housing is not emergency housing, but acknowledged the department offers options for individuals and families who are homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness.

This includes the homelessness assistance fund and the Canada Housing Benefit, both of which provide a rental subsidy to help with the affordability of private rental units.

Regarding the urgency of Peterson's situation, as temperatures drop, Housing NWT said they assess applications based on a points system, where those with the highest score receive the highest priority. "For example, if someone is homeless, fleeing family violence, or if there are multiple families sharing a home, there are points awarded to increase their score for their application," the departmental spokesperson wrote.

The spokesperson added the point rating system is being re-evaluated based on a strategic renewal underway at Housing NWT.

Meanwhile, Jerome feels like she is going in circles

Jerome said the Fort Resolution Housing Authority held a meeting on Nov. 8 to discuss Peterson's application. She said she handed the support letters to the board and asked them to waive the residency requirement for her mother based on the urgency of her situation.

The Housing NWT spokesperson also joined the meeting by telephone and mentioned to the board that exceptions can be made for emergency cases, but Jerome said the board "just blew that right off."

On Nov. 14, Peterson received a letter in the mail informing her that she does not meet the residency requirement.

"We were asking for emergency placement, we already know what the policy says," said Jerome.

The letter gave instructions on how to appeal, which Peterson is doing, but Jerome said it seems like everyone is passing the buck.

"In the meantime, my mom has nowhere to go and it's cold," Jerome said.