THUNDER BAY -- It might be cheaper to sell some property and build new for the district social services board.
In 2012 the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board hired a consultant to look at the state of its housing in the district.
That report, which came to the board last year, showed that several properties are in such bad shape that it would be better to sell rather than repair them.
Some of the buildings are more than 60 years old, part of public housing that was given to the DSSAB with no capital budget attached.
The board also has a lot of single homes and duplexes even though nearly 75 per cent of its waitlist is made up of single people looking for one-bedroom or bachelor apartments.
"The demand for that just isn't what it used to be," CAO Bill Bradica said.
On Wednesday the board decided to sell properties that are beyond repair. Bradica said in some cases they've already been boarded up. That money can then be used to repair other housing across the district or build new apartment buildings.
A list will head back to the board with suggested properties in the future. Bradica stressed that if impacted, clients would be transitioned to other homes.
"The intention is not to put anyone out," he said.
The 2014 report showed that Bertrand Court, Queen's Park, and 425 Vickers Street North apartments were too costly to repair along with Bradley Road homes in Savant Lake.
As for the board's plan to shift its focus from homes, it has nearly a dozen homes in the McGill and Simon Fraser Drive area that are worth around $200,000 each listed in the report.
There are also homes in Strathcona Park, Tilfrod Street in Upsala and Algoma Street in Nakina.
