North Bay tenants receive eviction notices as organization struggles to fund apartment repairs

Tenants at Westwinds Village face eviction after its operator, PHARA, issued N13 notices. The non-profit says it lacks the funds to complete critical repairs.

Residents of a low-income, independent living complex in North Bay’s south end could be forced out early next year as the assisted living facility run by the Physically Handicapped Adults’ Rehabilitation Association (PHARA) needs urgent, major repairs.

Nathalie Keating has lived at PHARA’s Massey Drive Westwinds Village complex for seven years. On Aug. 25, she and other tenants received eviction notices in line with an order PHARA received from the City of North Bay.

“I’ve filled out a form for emergency housing,” Keating told CTV News on Friday afternoon.

The letter, Keating said, encourages tenants to apply to the Centralized Housing Wait list and work to seek alternative accommodations.

In March, PHARA started the ‘Save Massey: Everyone and Every-body Deserves a Home’ campaign, seeking millions of dollars to renovate the units.

Damage identified in Fall 2024 was caused by long-term water damage. Much of the work includes ensuring heating systems are up to standard.

“I had a plugged sink for a month and that went moldy,” Keating said.

“It took them almost three days to unplug it. They don’t fix it.”

At the time, PHARA was optimistic that its call for help would be answered and that the money would flow in.

But the organization says it has only been able to generate about 15 per cent of the $8.4 million needed.

“It remains part of the social housing fabric of our community,” Mike Van der Vlist, PHARA CEO said.

“Social housing is needed not only here but across all the communities.”

The building provides different rental options, including geared-to-income rent, subsidized rent and market rent. Numerous units are designated for assisted living.

Currently, about 80 people live in 40 of the 48-unit structure.

“PHARA’s interest remains to not rebuild but repair. Rebuilding, starting from scratch is not something that’s under consideration by far at this time,” Van der Vlist said.

PHARA is an accredited, award-winning, partnership-based non-profit charitable organization that has provided services in North Bay and the surrounding area for more than 50 years.

The eviction notice allows the group to legally force tenants out to allow repairs to be done to the units.

The group is pushing all levels of government for immediate financial aid for what it describes as a critical housing project.

“We continue to advocate and work with all of our community partners and government organizations for that intention,” Van der Vlist said.

Meanwhile, residents like Keating are worried they won’t have a roof over their head come early next year.

“It’s very frustrating. It’s gross,” she said.