Families approved for major home repairs

Over 20 families found out this week they had been approved for grants to pay toward major home repairs.

The 23 applicants were selected following inspections of their homes carried earlier this winter.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) announced the creation of the renovation grant program last December. A total of 70 households applied for the grant of up to $40,000.

The vast majority were deemed eligible, but not every home was able to benefit from the grant. Another 44 households saw their applications rejected, something that came down to funding constraints, said executive operations officer Alan John Rice.

“Essentially we’re looking at who needs it this second, to make sure that their family is living in suitable conditions,” said Rice, responsible for overseeing the MCK’s Housing Unit. “There are some people who may have been able to wait for another year.”

It was anticipated at least 15 households would be able to benefit from the grant, he said, assuming each applicant was granted the total of $40,000. 

The grants were geared to family homes with at least one child under 26 living there.

It was really households in the most dire need of repairs that were prioritized, said Deka Moussa, the junior program manager who oversaw which applicants were selected.

Homes where there was overcrowding also took precedence, she said. Those with mould, damage from flooding or major structural concerns were also given higher priority ratings, as were households with limited financial means.

“We had a grid for all the major parts of the home. We had a section for the roof, the foundation, if there’s any plumbing problems, electricity problems, how are the walls, is there overcrowding? And the socio-economic factors of the household,” Moussa said. “We just compiled the numbers, and we took the families that had the highest numbers.”

Each family approved for the grant will have to wait until a final inspection is carried out on their home before they can start shopping around for quotes from contractors. 

“Their approval is conditional on doing a final inspection,” Moussa said. 

This is to prevent the chances of unexpected costs coming up, she said. 

Each family has to seek out at least three quotes. While the Housing Unit can’t recommend contractors, it can weigh in on the quotes they offer, Moussa said.

The funding for the grants given to families came out of $2 million provided earlier in the summer by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) under its child and family services fund. That envelope will also help pay toward the construction of two 16-plexes in the community.  

It’s anticipated the federal government will provide at least another $2 million this fiscal year under the same fund, Rice said, meaning there will be more home renovation grants up for grabs next year.

Households that were deemed eligible for the grant that weren’t selected this time around will be placed on a waiting list for consideration next year, according to the Housing Unit.

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