Emergency housing made available

Community members facing emergencies like fire damage, eviction, or domestic violence, will now have access to three short-term emergency housing units in Kahnawake, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) announced this week.

The units will serve as a solution for community members facing immediate emergencies, MCK housing portfolio chief Ryan Montour said, and stays will be limited to 90 days - though there could be some room for flexibility on a case-by-case basis.

“We’ve been meeting housing clients and seeing the current trends and needs in the community, and one thing everyone has asked for is emergency housing,” Montour said.

The three units each have three bedrooms, and community members will have to pay rent in line with MCK’s typical rental rates, which Montour said is designed to be affordable. All units will come completely furnished, with basic appliances and hydro and internet included as part of the rent.

To be eligible for the program, community members must be on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’keha:ka Registry (KKR), be in good standing with the MCK, and be facing an immediate emergency housing situation, which MCK’s Housing Unit defines as a “serious, dangerous, and unexpected housing situation that compromises the safety and security of household members.”

Montour said that can include emergencies that come about as a result of flooding or fire, as well as from accidents like gas leaks or burst pipes.

The housing will also be available for those facing sudden environmental health or safety hazards like asbestos findings, or evictions made without notice, as well as threats to personal safety, like domestic violence.

In the past, Montour said that community members have had to be referred out to external housing supports, like domestic violence shelters, a situation that he hopes could be avoided by having housing available here in Kahnawake.

“That really breaks my heart, especially as the housing portfolio chief,” he said.

While the MCK has experimented with emergency housing initiatives in the past, the Housing Unit has identified a clear need for short-term housing specifically. It can be difficult, Montour said, when an individual’s emergency situation extends into the medium or long-term, and he hopes that in future more housing can accommodate those kinds of situations.

“The problem is that in the past we’ve had emergency housing set up and filled it, but then the client still had nowhere else to go, so emergency housing turns into long-term rentals,” he said. “With this program, we want to keep it truly emergency. It’s not a forever rental, because we truly need them dedicated to emergency situations.”

Throughout a stay in the short-term housing units, individuals will work with the Housing Unit to provide monthly status updates regarding their emergency housing situation, to ensure that progress is being made on finding lodging in the long-term.

The Housing Unit will continue to monitor the success of the program and how best to ensure units are always available for emergency needs.

“We may try and keep one always open to ensure we truly have one available, but we’re waiting to see how many applications come in,” Montour said. “It’s a first-time program so we want to wait and see how it goes and see how to actually enforce it being short-term.”

He added that construction on multiplex housing units is well underway, and that the Council is fully aware of the need for more housing to address community needs beyond urgent emergencies.

“For a client of community housing, every situation is an emergency,” Montour said.

“We’re continuing to renovate our multi-dwelling units, some are close to completion, and as soon as those units are available, we’ll work as fast as we can to fill it.”

To apply for emergency housing, community members should call the Housing Unit at MCK and request a preliminary application for services.

[email protected]