Home ownership a reality for Nekaneet residents
- EFN Staff | January 18, 2017
Joanne Mosquito’s home on the Nekaneet First Nation was destroyed in a fire and was left homeless for nearly four months. She recalls the April day she watched her house burn down – a home that she and her family lived in for almost 27-years.
“My [common-law] asked if we were cooking anything or having a barbeque and I said no. He said there’s black smoke coming out of the back door. I checked and seen flames,” she says. “I grabbed my grandson and we ran out of the house and sat on the hill and watched it go down…we couldn’t do anything.”
After the fire that claimed her home, Mosquito and her daughter were forced to move an hour and a half south of Nekaneet to her common-law’s house. Now, thanks to the reserve’s newly implemented housing program, Chief and Council granted Mosquito a brand new, three-bedroom fully furnished home last month.
On December 19th, an emotional Joanne, along with 13 other citizens of the Nekaneet First Nation were presented the keys to their new homes during a gathering hosted by Nekaneet First Nation Chief & Council. Along with the keys, Joanne was also awarded a reprieve on her lease for one year, so she can bounce back from losing her home and all of her belongings in the spring fire.
It’s a program called the Nekaneet Housing Authority, which has been implemented for two years. The new community initiative works as a rent to own, which will wind up with community members owning their new homes.
Chief of Nekaneet First Nation, Jordi Fourhorns says they collect rent by garnishing off working community members paycheques and members who are on social assistance are automatically deducted. According from last year’s census, the community had 195 members on-reserve but with the addition of 14 units built last year, the numbers went up to 220 on-reserve band members.
“It was the first time we got homes in 25 years. After this, we will probably build 2-5 homes a year,” says Chief Fourhorns.
The community did not depend on Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) funds to build these homes. Nekaneet First Nation has a trust with nearly $10-million in the bank and had pulled out a long-term loan to purchase these new housing units. The community partnered with a home-building company called Expert First Nation Homes, whom built the new homes in about four months.
Rent is $340 a month for the newly built homes but this does not affect members who live in old band housing due to the poor condition some are in.
“We’re hoping the program is a success and that other First Nations will follow the same path and not depend on government dollars. Try your own source. When you use your own source, you’re in control; you don’t have to answer to any other government institutions,” says Chief Fourhorns.