Nunavik hands out prizes for maintaining housing units

The Kativik Municipal Housing Board awarded this year’s grand prizes for its Pivallianiq program this week.

The Pivallianiq program is aimed at encouraging people who live in social housing in Nunavik to take better care of their homes.

Each community has an agent who oversees how well tenants are looking after their units.

Jennifer Lapage, the founder of Pivallianiq and a former agent, is now the assistant director of client services at the Kativik Municipal Housing Board.

Lapage says with the shortage of housing in Nunavik, it's important tenants look after their homes.

"It is very costly to repair damages and renovations so we encourage tenants to keep their houses well maintained so we can try to keep these houses longer."

Toonoo Napartok, mayor of Kuujjuaq, Que., says homes need to be well maintained "so that houses can last longer for our children in the future to come."

Last year when the program started 86 tenants participated. This year there were 465.

There are some rules to follow to qualify for the prize draw but the bottom line is tenants have to keep their house in the best shape possible.

The winners were picked this week in Kuujjuaq at a special event that included all the students from the two schools.

The five winners won prizes that included a washer/dryer, a home entertainment system, 6 months of free rent, and an all-expense paid trip to see the Montreal Canadiens.