Thunder Bay social services board grapples with housing upgrades

The District Social Services Administration Board in Thunder Bay says it's facing an expensive list of repairs to its housing units.

The board is looking at about $200 million in major repairs to continue operating its buildings in Thunder Bay and the region, said board CAO Bill Bradica.

A report that's due in the fall will look at what can be done with the aging infrastructure. Bradica said the report will present options for how to fix up some buildings, but will also answer some tough questions:

"Are there properties that are just beyond their useful life? Should we be looking at building new to replace them, or redeveloping the site?"

The properties owned by the social services board generally range in age from 25 to over 60 years old. In some cases, Bradica noted, they may not be fully accessible, or have proper amenities.

"A lot of these buildings were built many years ago," he said. "They may not work in the current environment."

While the report will examine whether to build new housing units, or repair existing ones, Bradica said it will also focus on the fact that some facilities in the region – in places like Greenstone and Manitouwadge – aren't at full capacity.

"Generally, in [Thunder Bay], the vacancy rate is very low," he said.

"Usually there's only a vacancy when there's a turnover, so there might be a gap for a month or so while the unit's readied for the next tenant; but in some of the other communities in the district, the vacancy rate is much higher."