Our Nations are growing due to rising birth rates and members being attracted ‘back home’ thanks to economic development initiatives. But as chiefs, councils and administrations deal with the impacts of that growth, one word keeps coming up – Housing.
That’s why Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council hosted a workshop in Snuneymuxw on housing governance issues earlier this year. Delegates from our Nations heard Glenn Lawson of Lawson Tessier and Associates talk not only about the complexity of First Nations housing issues, but offer some solutions.
“It may be complex, but it doesn’t have to be difficult,” Lawson told the delegates as he talked about how good governance can provide the foundation, with a structure built of sound housing policies, so that many of the problems that face our growing communities can begin to be solved.
Following the workshop, Tsleil-Waututh and Snuneymuxw decided to continue working with Lawson Tessier and NmTC offered support for their projects.
Nation snapshots
At first glance, TWN and SFN face widely different challenges.
TWN has about 400 members with about half of them living on just over 100 hectares of a reserve surrounded by the District of North Vancouver. While it is somewhat limited by its land base, TWN has plans in the works to create a new neighbourhood area. Also on the reserve is TWN’s major economic driver, the highly successful Ravenwoods development that has more than 800 condo and town home residences. And then there’s TWN’s groundbreaking plan for the 22,000-hectare Indian River watershed.
Meanwhile, SFN has more than 1,500 members with only about one-third living on four reserves. Many live on the crowded 22-hectare Number One reserve surrounded by the City of Nanaimo. Others live on more than 200 hectares on three rural reserves, about ten minutes away, and face a variety of infrastructure challenges. Two of those reserves have significant areas that are not band owned because of certificates of possession (CP lands). Nearby is one of SFN’s future economic drivers, the huge 300-hectare Sandstone commercial and residential joint-venture development.
But what they have in common is significant. Both Nations are dealing with growing young populations. The demand for adequate housing often leads the list of ‘live’ issues on reserve lands.
Building programs are underway. Housing committees are being reformed and revitalized. So too are housing policies. There is a very high need for maintenance and repair to existing housing stock. And there are serious rent arrears.
Getting down to work at TWN
Dale Komanchuk, who has been TWN’s director of administration and public works for more than a year, has been focusing on the variety housing challenges since he first started working for TWN as manager of lands.
He helped guide the adoption of the TWN Land Code that came into effect in June 2007. The code sets out the principles and administrative structure by which TWN exercises its authority over current and future reserve lands.
After Komanchuk attended the NmTC housing governance workshop, TWN contracted Glenn Lawson to help out.
“Council approved the general direction we wanted to go,” Komanchuk said. “We then held a workshop for community members. Some of those who attended became the core of our new housing committee.”
Five community members and one council member sit on the committee. Terms of reference have been developed with a mandate for the committee to make housing decisions completely independent of council.
Komanchuk said that a key element in forming the housing committee was the decision to pay members a fair honouraria for their service.
“That’s a healthy way to do things,” he said. “The housing committee should be compensated for the workload and the hard decisions they have to make. It reflects well on the big job that’s ahead.” Two members of the committee will serve four-year terms with three others serving two-year terms.
While the organization of the committee was important, Komanchuk said there were other weighty matters to deal with.
“At the same time, we started to deal with fixing up our housing. TWN hired a professional housing inspector to go into our CMHC housing. When the repairs begin, we will give priority to people who have been paying their rents.
Many phases to TWN’s housing initiative
Tsleil-Waututh has started its multi-phased project called the Achieving Housing Results Initiative. It has a challenging goal: developing a housing governance program that TWN is able to sustain and improve; and one that addresses the need for affordable, safe, high-quality member housing on reserve.TWN Housing Office staff persons Travis George and Heidi Martin are serving as project managers for the initiative.
Phase I of the project was completed in June. TWN housing staff worked with Glenn Lawson to develop a strategy to move forward. Included in the action plan was:
• Develop a housing governance program;
• Establish a validly chosen and knowledgeable Housing Committee;
• Hold workshops for community members, Council and staff; and
• Take steps to satisfy CMHC social housing requirements.
Phase II immediately got underway and staff identified 10 tasks to tackle. Some are already complete while others are underway.
Inspections have been completed on more than 30 homes and the news about repairs was not as bad as some suspected.
A new tenancy agreement is being implemented. Along with an arrears policy and other agreements, this is seen to be the backbone of the entire housing program.
Extensive training of TWN’s housing officer, housing administrator and other staff is also taking place. Procedures are being established for everything from assessing applicants to project management. A major goal is to ensure that the program survives once the intensive initiative period comes to an end.
New approach to housing at SFN
Housing and governance were on the agenda for a meeting at Snuneymuxw early in summer.
Glenn Lawson facilitated the discussion that ranged from forming an independent housing committee to drafting a range of housing policies. “Housing is the most complex issue for any First Nation,” Lawson said, but added: “It may be complex, but it doesn’t have to be difficult, at least not in Snuneymuxw.”
SFN’s chief and council had already endorsed a plan by Lawson that would see a housing committee formed that would operate at arm’s length from elected officials. Included in the plan was writing a new housing policy.
“In the new book, a lot of old housing practices won’t be allowed. The housing committee will have total authority to enforce housing policies,” Lawson said. “Chief and council cannot over-rule the housing committee when the committee is acting on approved housing policies and agreements. If you don’t agree with a housing policy decision, you can appeal it; not to Chief and Council, but through an appeal process.”
The new approach to housing will be designed to be fair and will provide long-term benefits for the nation and for every resident. That’s because the new housing policy will be clearly written to meet the needs of SFN members. And those policies will be applied equally to all members.
“The key is that policies are applied equally to all members, regardless of family or position,” Lawson said.
The key is for SFN to gain control of its housing with an effective governance structure that will result in a healthy operation. And the key to an effective structure is a housing committee that has the responsibility to write good policies and the authority to enforce them.
“The three most important words in housing are communication, communication, communication,” said Lawson. “Housing has to keep members informed about new policies and programs. Housing also has to listen to members, tenants and homeowners about their needs and complaints.”
“Good policies are good for everyone,” Lawson told the SFN meeting.
“Even the tough stuff,” he said.