5 maintenance staff for P.E.I.’s 1,600 public housing units ‘a significant staff shortage,’ says minister

P.E.I.’s Minister of Housing says his division has begun hiring extra employees to carry out upkeep at government-owned housing complexes, making an attempt to compensate for years of underfunding and neglect of models the federal government rents out to a number of the poorest residents within the province.

In query interval Tuesday Matthew MacKay mentioned his division has simply 5 upkeep employees to take care of 1,600 housing models, most of them for seniors. That is one upkeep individual for each 320 models. 

“Clearly 5 individuals are not sufficient,” MacKay advised MLAs, “and I am not defending it in any approach, as a result of the buildings that we personal want determined work.”

Opposition MLA Karla Bernard got here outfitted with an inventory of a number of the jobs left undone.

“They’re placing Band-Aids on years of neglect from this authorities and [the government] earlier than,” she mentioned. 

“I’ve heard of air filters not being modified in 20 years; tubs leaking into the residence under; seniors ready to have security bars put in within the lavatory; mild switches not working.”

Bernard mentioned the dearth of upkeep and repairs is “actively placing [seniors’] well being in danger.”

MacKay didn’t put a quantity on what number of employees his division plans to rent, telling reporters “that is being labored out.” 

However he mentioned “we wish to have plumbers, electricians, carpenters, principally a full crew within the [P.E.I.] Housing Corp., not solely to take care of our buildings as an entire but in addition assist us with our future growth tasks.”

The King authorities has promised to construct or purchase 465 extra public housing models over the following 5 years.

“One of many first issues I seen once I got here into this position as minister is we have got a big employees scarcity within the division taking care of housing and we’d like extra,” MacKay mentioned.

He mentioned some work, together with main repairs, is contracted out however mentioned the present upkeep funds of $1.2 million per 12 months is much too small, and “the largest drawback” when wanting on the present situation of the province’s housing inventory.

Authorities is planning to triple the upkeep funds subsequent 12 months, nevertheless it’s not clear whether or not that funding degree will probably be maintained past 2023.

Residents advised to name their MLA?

At one level Bernard mentioned that when tenants in authorities housing had referred to as the province to report upkeep or questions of safety that they had been advised “to contact their MLA, that we’re the one ones who can change issues.”

“There’s no person saying ‘name your MLA’ on a housing concern,” MacKay shot again. 

“Sure they’re,” replied Bernard.

The Greens additionally puzzled why there appeared to be no document of residents calling to report issues at one specific government-owned seniors’ housing complicated in Tyne Valley.

A 64-year-old man died in a hearth at that six-unit facility in October. 4 different residents escaped.

The fireplace marshal mentioned the reason for the hearth remained undetermined, however that it was seemingly resulting from discarded smoking materials.

MLA Trish Altass mentioned residents of the ability had reached out to their landlord — the province — to precise issues about “attainable fireplace hazards within the months main as much as the hearth.”

MacKay mentioned he had requested his division for data, and mentioned there have been no information anybody had come ahead with issues.

“There have been lots of rumours in the neighborhood of this particular person not having energy to his unit,” MacKay advised the home.

Later he clarified to reporters — nonetheless attributing the knowledge to rumours in the neighborhood — that the individual could have run an extension twine to attract electrical energy from one other unit.

Neither the minister nor the Opposition prompt that data — if true — might need contributed to the hearth or the person’s demise.

However Altass expressed concern that there appeared to be no document of this concern and different pink flags she mentioned residents had raised with the province.

“There must be clear processes when issues are introduced ahead: what actions are taken, [to] reply again to those that are expressing the issues to allow them to know these points are being addressed,” Altass advised reporters.

“The seniors spoke up, however no person was listening.”