Six-plex talks in progress
After a possible transfer of the six-plex was revealed at Meet the Candidates Night in June, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has confirmed discussions are underway to explore taking the development over from Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS).
“There has been no official decision on that yet,” said MCK executive operations officer Alan John Rice. He characterized the discussions as preliminary.
“MCK Housing doesn’t exactly have the mandate for if there’s additional care needed for residents. That’s where the discussion would have to take place in terms of what those residents need and if we are able to provide that care.”
The six-plex, also known as A’nowaráhne, was originally envisioned as a residential facility for those with special needs or elders who did not yet qualify for the Turtle Bay Elders’ Lodge.
Its tenants would likely be absorbed similarly to other MCK tenants, according to Rice, if Council takes it over.
“We wouldn’t just take the decision without knowing how we would handle it first,” he said.
KSCS, which has managed the six-plex since it was unveiled in 2019, believes the reality of the building has diverged from the original vision laid out by Mohawk Council when it was built. One reason, KSCS executive director Derek Montour suggested, is that not all the units are wheelchair accessible.
“As we have evolved, we realized the services that are required by the residents are really the same requirements as any other community member in their own home,” said Montour. “Essentially this is their home, and therefore is really housing. The A’nowaráhne is therefore a housing facility, not a service facility.”
According to Montour, KSCS is currently tasked with all kinds of landlord responsibilities for the six-plex, including setting and collecting rents, maintaining the building and grounds, administering contracts, and navigating problems between tenants and neighbours.
To that end, KSCS has been exploring whether the building would be a better fit with the MCK Housing Unit, he acknowledged. “The services the residents may require are the same services someone at home, or the town apartments, may need, so it is not a necessity that it be KSCS to manage,” Montour said.
He added that KSCS could continue to deliver individualized services to tenants the way it does to any other community member.
“Services would not be impacted,” Montour said. “They are eligible for services, so any services provided to them would and should continue under any new landlord. It is a question of aligning landlord responsibilities and tenant responsibilities.”
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There is currently no timeline on a decision, according to Rice.
