Housing Services

Affordable Housing Program

Our goal is to help citizens secure safe, affordable and sustainable housing – now and for future generations.

The mandate of the Affordable Housing Program is to provide better living conditions for the citizens of Kwanlin Dün, while operating under clear business principles, remaining fiscally responsible and accountable to its citizenship.

The program:

  • Addresses and acts upon all housing issues and related requests
  • Ensures that housing issues are effectively managed
  • Provides recommendations and changes to the Housing Rental Policy
  • Reviews rents to ensure payments are made
  • Conducts annual inspections of rental units for maintenance, repairs and renovations
  • Maintains a comprehensive database on all community rental units
  • Enforces all tenant agreements and explains agreement responsibilities

Housing Rental Policy

The Kwanlin Dun Housing Rental Policy describes all aspects of renting from the First Nation.

 

Housing Allocation Committee

The Kwänlin Dün Housing Rental Program seeks to provide affordable rental housing access to KDFN citizens.

Applications for the program are considered by the Kwänlin Dün First Nation Housing Allocation Committee, who determine each applicant’s need for housing based on criteria including the income, current living situation and personal and family requirements. This ensures that priority is given to applicants in greatest need of housing. This committee is governed by the Housing Allocation Committee Terms of Reference.

Eligibility

To qualify for affordable housing, you must:

  • be a Kwänlin Dün First Nation citizen, or the primary caregiver/guardian of a minor Kwänlin Dün citizen
  • be 18 years of age or older
  • have no outstanding rental arrears with the Kwänlin Dün Rental Housing Program

Your application will not be accepted if:

  • you own your own home, or if you own a home but do not live in it
  • you owe money to the Kwänlin Dün First Nation and you do not have a repayment plan
  • your application is incomplete or is missing documentation.

 

How to apply

Submit your housing application to the Community Services office, located at 77 McClennan Road, McIntyre Subdivision.

You are required to schedule an appointment with the Tenant Relations Officer to review your application once it is completed. The Tenant Relations Officer will review the application with you and discuss your current housing situation.

Your application will be forwarded to the Housing Allocation Committee and you will be notified of the decision in the form of a letter within five business days after the committee meets. All active/eligible applications on the waiting list will be kept on file for a one-year period from the date of receipt. Applicants are responsible for keeping their application up-to-date.

If you refuse a unit allocated to you, you will be placed on a minimum of six-month waiting period. If you refuse a second time, your application will be cancelled your refusal will be noted in your file.

You can download the rental housing application package as well as a sample application and sample documents.

Pets

All renters with pets and service animals must complete a pet information form and submit to Community Services for approval.

House key replacement

You will be provided with a set of keys on your move in date. You may not change the locks without permission from Community Services. If you lose your keys, Community Services will replace the key at a cost of $5.00 per key.

 

Paying for household costs

A tenant is responsible for paying all charges for electricity and heat, telephone, cable and other services or any other amenities the tenant may subscribe or install, unless otherwise indicated in the tenancy agreement.

 

Day-to-day upkeep

The tenant is responsible for minor maintenance jobs, including:

  • repairing plugged toilets, sinks and drains,
  • replacing all light bulbs, florescent tubes, light shades and globes,
  • replacing or installing weather stripping,
  • replacing and tightening hinge screws and door pulls,
  • keeping the unit and property free from garbage, debris and other materials that may be a health or safety issue, environmental hazards including junked vehicles, appliances or other equipment,
  • immediately informing Community Services if the fire safety equipment in the unit stops working. This does not include replacing batteries which is the responsibility of the tenant,
  • immediately reporting any emergency repairs including any break or defect in interior plumbing, heating or electrical systems to Community Services,
  • filing a police report and to contact Community Services where damage to the rental unit and/or property has occurred as a result of vandalism or willful damage by a non-tenant, and
  • if the rental unit is a single detached home, the tenant is responsible for exterior care (i.e. yard maintenance and shoveling sidewalks).

 

Asking for repairs or maintenance

When requesting repairs or maintenance, the tenant will contact Community Services by phone or in person and notify them of the nature of the maintenance or repairs required. The work will be done in accordance with its priority.

 

Storing unlicensed vehicles

A tenant may not keep any vehicles on the rental property that don’t have a current and valid vehicle registration or license plate. Types of vehicles that require up-to-date registration include:

  • cars
  • trucks
  • motorcycles
  • motor homes
  • recreational vehicles

 

Subletting

The landlord does not allow subletting units. It would not be reasonably fair to those other applicants. Any attempt to sublet will be met with the termination of a tenant’s lease and the tenant will not be eligible to rent another Kwanlin Dün property.

 

Absence from the property

If a tenant is away from the unit for:

  • a period of 7 consecutive days between May 1st and September 30th, or
  • 24 hours between October 1st and April 30th

the tenant must arrange for a responsible adult person with the experience to adequately care for the unit. Community Services must approve all house sitters.

If you would like Community Services to secure your property due to an extended absence, fill out a secure entry form and bring it to Community Services.

 

Home insurance

The tenant must obtain and pay for insurance to cover contents and personal belongings. Kwanlin Dün is not responsible for the contents of the unit or the tenants’ personal belongings.

 

Tenant death

When a tenant dies, the rental housing unit will remain vacant for a period of 3 months to facilitate the grieving period. The family or the estate of the deceased will be responsible for paying the rent and the utilities.

If you would like Community Services to remove the deceased tenant’s belongings from the property, complete a personal property disposal form and bring it to the Community Services office.

 

Non-citizens as co-tenants

No, only KDFN citizens can be a co-tenant.

 

Chargeback fees

Minor wear and tear can be expected to occur during the course of day-to-day living in a home, but damages are different – even if they are caused by accident. You will be advised if there are any charges for the cost of removing any of your personal items remaining in the unit, repairing any damages to the unit or replacing missing keys and/or other items that originally belongings to the unit.

If there are charges and you cannot pay the full amount, you can ask to enter into an agreement to pay the arrears in more manageable monthly amounts.

 

Clogged toilets

Firstly, keep an eye on children and pets, they are the #1 cause of large items being flushed into the toilets. In this case, a plumber will need to be called to retrieve the item at the tenant’s expense. Avoid flushing large amounts of toilet paper, sanitary napkins, paper towel, grease, cat litter and under no circumstance should flushable wipes be put in a toilet. In the event of a clog, hot water and a plunger are the easiest solution. Fill the toilet with hot (not boiling) water and use the plunger in a rapid up and down motion to free the clog.

 

Dispute Resolution

The Yukon Residential Landlord and Tenant Handbook is an important resource. It can help you try and resolve any issues with the landlord.

A tenant can appeal a Community Services termination decision by contacting the Government of Yukon’s Residential Tenancies Office by calling 867-667-5944 or visiting 307 Black Street. You have the right to ask the Director of Residential Tenancies to review and decide upon the termination. This request must be made within the 5 days after you receive a termination notice.

Community Services can help with general maintenance issues on rental properties like:

  • broken doors
  • renovations
  • repairs to the house
  • furnace issues
  • pest control
  • plumbing and electrical issues
  • heat recovery ventilator (HRV) issues

How to ask for maintenance help

Call Community Services at 867-633-7833. Only requests made through the office will be processed.

Describe the issue to the administrative assistant.

A work order will be generated if the request falls within the items described above, then reviewed by the department.

Work orders are prioritized. Urgent issues will be dealt with promptly, otherwise there may be a waiting period.

Crew members are assigned tasks. Crews will then review and schedule the work. Community Services does not schedule work for independent contractors. They are separate from Community Services crew members and must be scheduled by the tenant.

Work will get completed.

Be respectful to maintenance staff

We receive many requests for work, and each one can take time to complete, please be patient with our staff. They have to assess the work, get the required materials, prepare for the work, complete it, and then clean up and fill out the required paperwork.

Tenants requesting work orders that are being abusive to staff not be served.

Renovations

Community Services completed a housing condition assessment and a housing needs assessment in the winter of 2018. From the reports, condition indexes were created. These condition indexes will be used to determine renovation priorities. The assessments of units will be ongoing to ensure that units are not overlooked for renovations.

As with work orders, renovations are done on a priority basis. Tenants’ requests may be delayed if other units have a greater need.

Community Services has a budget for a certain number of renovations per fiscal year. If a unit cannot be renovated in the current fiscal year, its priority will increase in the following fiscal year.

Tenants may still request a renovation to their unit. Community Services would then complete an inspection of the unit and determine its priority for renovations.

Many tasks are also the tenant’s responsibility:

  • snow clearing (unless the tenant is an Elder or disabled)
  • weather stripping on doors
  • clogged toilets
  • lawn mowing
  • pet clean-up
  • borrowing tools
  • towing vehicles
  • moving furniture
  • general clean-up

How to use your heat recovery ventilator

What is an HRV?

HRV stands for heat recovery ventilator.  It essentially exchanges the air volume of your house throughout the day to ensure fresh air is in the home.  It uses a specialized filter to use the outgoing air from your home to heat the incoming air.  KDFN installs an inline heater on the HRV’s we install to ensure the air coming in is not cooling the house during the winter months.

Moisture and HRV

An HRV keeps the moisture content of your home at a constant safe level to decrease mold and bacteria growth.  As well it helps to remove germs because it’s constantly filtering and exchanging the air in the house.   This is why you will see a drain coming out of the bottom of the hrv.

HRV settings

The HRV installed in your home are balanced and settings should not be touched.  What this means is that the HRV is putting as much air into the unit as it’s taking out.  This creates neutral pressure.  If the settings are altered the system can go on positive pressure (locks freeze, doors freeze, house will get slightly colder), or negative pressure (smoke/exhaust may get drawn into house, house will cool, moisture issues).  This is why we ask you don’t adjust the settings and call community services if you suspect an issue.

How to use your HRV

You will notice controls for you HRV on the walls.  These are generally in the hallway.  For the most part they are set to an energy efficient setting, and should be left alone. However, if you are doing a lot of cooking, they can be turned up to max while you cook.  Be sure to turn them down afterwards.  As well if you are showering you can turn the HRV up to remove the excess moisture a little quicker from the house.  Once again turn the system back to energy efficient when done.  Due to the many configurations and setups, not all unit controls are in the same place, so if you have any questions, please contact Community Services and we can have the technician come to show you how to properly operate the system.  Most importantly do not turn your HRV off!  This can cause moisture issues and mold.

Maintenance

KDFN staff will service the HRV unit as we service furnaces, and change filters in the fall.  There is a special procedure for this, and we ask that you leave this up to our staff.  There is risk of electrical shock and moving part hazards to consider.  If you suspect your HRV is malfunctioning, or the control screen shows a filter light, please contact Community Services and we can send someone to service the unit.

How to properly burn your woodstove

Choose the right fuel. The best wood is seasoned wood that’s been drying for at least 6 months. Fresh wood contains too much moisture. Wet wood creates a lot of smoke, and creosote buildup. You can choose between hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is denser and produces a hotter and longer burn, so it’s good for cold winters. Softwood is less dense, so it generates a cooler fire that’s good for spring or fall nights.

Open all the controls. Many wood stoves have one or more levers you can use to control dampers that allow air into the firebox. When you’re starting a fire, you want all the dampers fully open. The primary source of air in many stoves is an air intake under the grate that provides air to the fire bed. Stoves might have a secondary air valve above the firebox to provide air to the flames, as well as a damper that opens and closes the flue.

Put in some kindling. The best way to get a fire going in a woodstove is to start with small pieces of wood to get the flames burning. Crumple up a newspaper and make sure it is dry. Place the newspaper

into the center of the stove. Lay kindling on top of the paper. Making sure the small pieces of wood are dry.

Light the fire. Use a lighter or match to ignite the newspaper under the kindling. Start at the back and work your way toward the front. Leave the door open for about 5 minutes to make sure the fire gets enough air.

Add some small logs. Once the kindling starts to burn, you can add some small logs to the fire when the flames start to die down. Add 3 small logs to the fire, one at a time, to avoid snuffing the flames. When you add wood to the fire, loosely stack the logs so that air can surround them as much as possible. Close the door most of the way, but leave it unlatched to prevent the fire from being smothered as it establishes itself. Once the fire is fully established, after about 15 minutes, you can close and latch the door.

Keep the door closed. Every time you open the door, it allows heat to escape. This will result in a cooler and less efficient fire. Opening the door also allows smoke to escape into the room. Once the fire is going, only open the door to add more logs. Open the door slowly to prevent smoke exiting the stove. Keeping the door closed will prevent sparks and embers from shooting out. This will prevent sparks from starting fires outside the stove.

Add larger logs. After you’ve added some small logs and the fire has established, you can add larger logs. When the flames from the smaller logs start to subside, add 3 larger logs. When the larger logs have burned down and there are mostly embers and small flames, then it’s time to add some more logs. Adding too much wood at once will smother the fire and leave unburned logs, this leads to smoke and creosote buildup.

Partially close the air intakes. After about 20 minutes, and the fire is burning well, lessen the amount of air going to the fire. This will give the fire enough air to keep burning, but will stop it from burning too quickly. Shut the air dampers so that they’re open about 1/3 of the way. Don’t close the secondary air valve or damper completely. This can lead to creosote buildup in the chimney pipes.

Use proper safety precautions when using the wood stove

Fire can be dangerous and must be treated with respect. Things you can do to keep your home and family safe are:

Keep children and pets away from the stove. The metal will be extremely hot and can cause burns. The best way to keep kids and animals away is to install a fence or safety gate around the woodstove.

Keep all combustible materials like fuel, kindling, papers and books, and furniture at least 3 feet away from the stove.

To have an overnight fire, open the air valves and add some large pieces of wood. Let the fire go for about 25 minutes, then close the valves to their normal spot. This will prevent smouldering, which can lead to smoke and creosote buildup.

Let the fire die out naturally. Once it has died down and there are only embers left, you can leave the fire to die out on its own.

 

Only burn seasoned wood

For the health and safety of your home and family, and the maintenance of your woodstove, don’t burn anything but dry seasoned wood. Use plain paper or newspaper as kindling.

Never burn:

  • Wet, green, painted, or pressure-treated wood
  • Garbage
  • Plastic
  • Cardboard
  • Coal
  • Particle board or plywood
  • Wood pellets
  • Gas, lighter fluid, or any other fuel

Clean out the ashes regularly

When the ashes build up in the firebox, you should clean them out. Too much ash in the bottom will impede the airflow, meaning your fire won’t get the oxygen it needs. To clean the ashes, use a shovel or brush to sweep the ashes into a metal bucket.

  • leave a one-inch layer of ash in the bottom for insulation.
  • Wait at least 24 hours to give the ashes time to cool completely before cleaning out.

Have the stove inspected annually

Call in a professional chimney sweep once a year. This person can inspect the stove, pipes, and other components for damage and wear.

The best time to have your chimney swept is before summer, because heat and humidity can mix with carbon residue and create acids that eat away at your wood stove components.

What are bedbugs?

Bedbugs are hitchikers.

Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. They are easily moved from room to room on infested objects. Bedbugs cannot easily climb metal or polished surfaces, and they cannot fly or jump. Adult bedbugs are brown, but darken to a blood red colour after feeding.

 

I have bed bugs. What do I do?

Call Community Services at 867-633-7833.

We will make every effort to help you prepare for the bedbug treatment. Community Services covers the cost of the treatment. Your information will be kept confidential.

 

Treatment preparation

Your home will be treated as soon as you complete the following steps:

  • Remove all clutter.
  • Vacuum your mattress, including all crevices, handles and buttons.
  • Vacuum the bed frame, baseboard, and furniture close to the bed.
  • Throw out the vacuum bag afterwards.
  • Wash and dry all clothes on high heat.
  • Put clean clothes into a clean container.
  • Empty and bag any other furniture so that the technician can spray them.

Every citizen who wants to own a home, can. The Kwanlin Dün First Nation Market Housing Program, developed in conjunction with the First Nations Market Housing Fund, supports citizen access to affordable and competitive mortgages or loans to build, purchase or renovate homes on Kwanlin Dün settlement lands.

The first phase of the program will take place on developed settlement land where there is sewer, water and electricity infrastructure. These lots are within the City of Whitehorse in McIntyre, Porter Creek and on Swan and Crow streets.

Potential homeowners may also want to consider buying, then renovating or upgrading, the house they currently rent.

The First Nations Market Housing Fund will provide financial backing to qualified individual citizens who can afford and choose to purchase, construct or renovate their own homes on KDFN settlement lands. The mortgages or loans are backed by the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and may only be used for housing, and not as collateral for other major purchases such as a boat or a car.

 

Funding opportunities

New construction loans or existing home purchases

  • Maximum loan: $300,000
  • Maximum amortization: 25 years
  • Down payment 5%

 

Renovation loans

  • Maximum loan: $150,000
  • Maximum amortization: 25 years
  • Down payment: n/a

 

How to apply

  1. Contact the KDFN Department of Finance. To qualify, you must have no outstanding debt with KDFN and be a registered citizen.
  2. Apply to one of the participating lenders for your mortgage or loan. To qualify, you must meet standard mortgage requirements such as good credit, income to support the loan, and a moderate debt load.
  3. Proceed with the terms and conditions of the mortgage approval and KDFN’s Market Housing Policy.

Snow Removal

Snow removal is the responsibility of the tenant, unless the tenant is an Elder or has a disability. Paths to oil tanks and power meters must be clear at all times. Heating oil companies will not deliver oil to houses that don’t have a shovelled path.

 

Garbage

Call the Community Services at 867-633-7833 ext. 401 for the garbage removal schedule.

Do not put un-contained liquids in the trash. All garbage must be bagged or it will not be collected.

Raw meat from harvests will attract insects, ravens and bears. Take extra care when disposing of these items by bringing them directly to the dump. In the case of moose, caribou or sheep, return the bones to a wilderness area where they will not affect people.

It is the responsibility of tenants to clean out loose garbage and debris from the bottom of dumpsters. Tenants must bag loose garbage so the crew can pick it up.

Do not dispose of sharp items or needles in the garbage. Call the Health Centre at 867-668-7289 if you need a sharp object disposal container.

 

Curbside pickup

The following items can be returned for cash at Raven Recycling:

  • electronics
  • car batteries
  • radiators
  • alternators
  • aluminium rims
  • engine blocks
  • copper and brass
  • old Christmas lights

Crews will pick up bulky items such as furniture and bicycles on the appropriate days. Crews will not pick up items such as paints, oil and chemicals. The Whitehorse landfill accepts these items twice a year, please store them until those dates. Check the City of Whitehorse Landfill site for those dates. Used oil can be brought to General Waste and burned in their used-oil furnace.

 

Yards

Pet feces can contain many parasites and pathogens that can make people sick, especially in the spring when the snow melts. This is a major hazard to children and the elderly. Please be sure to clean up after your pets throughout the year, and especially during the spring and summer. Dispose of pet waste in a double garbage bag.

 

Garbage in yards should be removed on a regular basis. Derelict vehicles are to be removed in line with KDFN’s policy. Minimize material storage within the yard. Take pride in your community and take the time to manage debris in your yard.