Iqaluit family homeless after winter eviction from public housing

Iqaluit resident Ragilee Kopalieand her family arenow homeless in winter after beingevicted from public housing earlier this month, and that's got some people questioning whetherevictions in cold weather should be allowed.

"I don't know where I am going to go stay," said Kopalie.

Kopalie lived in her public housing unit in Iqaluit for more than nineyears, but on Dec. 7, along with her daughter, her daughter's partner and their two children, she was evicted.

"It's better when they kick people out when it's summer," she said. "It's very cold outside and it's too hurtful to my heart."

Kopalieand her family have beenstayingwith relatives since the eviction.

Court documents show Kopalie owes the Iqaluit Housing Authority nearly $14,000in unpaid rent. They also show that the housing authority tried for years to work with Kopalie to clear her arrears. Those efforts failed, leading to the December eviction.

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Winter evictions don't sit well with many Nunavummiut, including Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu MLA Pat Angnakak.

"I, like a lot of people, thought they didn't happen," she said. "But I've done some research and found that is not true."

There is no law prohibiting winter evictions. In fact, the only seasonal exception in Nunavut's Residential Tenancies Act is for renters living in mobile homes.

Officials at the Nunavut Housing Corporation, which provides policy direction to local housing authorities, say they try to avoid winter evictions when possible.

NHC presidentTerry Audlasays the corporation is grappling with as much as $35 million in rental arrears.

"We are constantly reaching out to tenants that are in arrears but when we are not having any contact back from the tenant then some action needs to be taken," saidAudla.

Rent in public housing is heavily subsidizedand scaled to a tenant's income. Because of this, Audla saysthe burden of rent is not overwhelming and should be paid.

"We have many people who are on the waiting list that are more than willing to partake in the process of paying their rent," he said.