Metis Housing not Metis Urban Housing

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Metis Urban Housing (MUH) and Metis Association of Alberta Housing Services (MAA Housing) are two separate and distinct.

MUH Manager Larry Desmeules wants that to be perfectly clear.

It is not MUH, but MAA Housing that has been under fire for overspending and mismanagement which led to an investigation of MAA Housing operations by Canada Mortgage and Housing (CMHC). The overspending led to postponement of the MAA annual assembly and election.

Desmeules reports that MUH does not have those kinds of problems, and a recently completed annual audit proves it.

And he emphasizes that questions about MAA housing employees living in MUH homes are not a reflection on MUH.

Those employees had to provide income verification on which rents were based, and these are checked by auditors, Desmeules says.

The only conflict would be if a tenant received an increase in pay and MUH wasn't informed.

MUH rents are based on 25% of gross earnings. There used to be a maximum rent, but that has been removed. Now, if you rent from MUH and make $10,000 a year, your rent is $2,500 a year; if you earn $100,000 a year, your rent is $25,000 a year.

Desmeules said that the arrangement that had MAA Housing paying rent directly to MUH for some MAA Housing employees was an arrangement between the employees and MAA Housing.