Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive

4.1.1 A person employed for a specified term or part-time is eligible for the benefits provided in this part when:

1. assigned to an isolated post for a period of three months or more, and
2. required to work more than one-third of the normal working hours of a full-time indeterminate employee of the same occupational group and level.

4.1.2 Employees who are granted leave without pay for the following reasons shall be eligible for the benefits of this part: illness, injury-on-duty or maternity/parental leave.

4.2.1 When employees have received any relocation benefits pursuant to section 3.3 (Expenses) or have been hired at and served at isolated posts for a period of five or more continuous years, and ceased to be employees by reason of

1. their retirement or having reached the age of 50 years with not less than 20 years of pensionable service for purposes of the Public Service Superannuation Act;
2. disability certified by a qualified medical practitioner;
3. a workforce adjustment; or
4. termination of employment for reasons other than breaches of discipline or misconduct pursuant to Section 11(2)(g) of the Financial Administration Act,

they shall be reimbursed the relocation expenses referred to in Section 4.10 (Payment of Expenses), in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would be incurred in relocating to their normal place of residence.

4.3.1 Subject to this section, when employees resign from the Public Service and have not completed at least one continuous year of assignment at an isolated post, and have not completed their term of assignment, the deputy head may authorize a recoverable advance to those employees in an amount that does not exceed the transportation and travelling expenses, in respect of themselves and their dependants, that would be incurred in travelling between their headquarters and the point of departure.

4.3.2 The deputy head may direct that all or any portion of the relocation benefits received by those employees, pursuant to Part III, shall be recovered from them.

4.3.3 No advance shall be paid until employees have signed and delivered a promissory note payable on demand to the Receiver General for Canada in the amount of the aggregate of the advance and the amounts, if any, that were directed to be recovered.

4.4.1 Employees who resign from the Public Service, having received any benefit pursuant to 3.3.2 and having completed more than one and less than five continuous years of assignment at isolated posts, shall be reimbursed the expenses referred to in Section 4.10 in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would be incurred in relocating to the point of departure.

4.4.2 Employees who resign from the Public Service, having received any benefit pursuant to 3.3.3 or 3.3.4 and having completed more than one and less than five continuous years of assignment at isolated posts, shall be reimbursed the amount of transportation and travelling expenses they incur in leaving the headquarters, for themselves and their dependants, in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would have been incurred in travelling to the point of departure.

4.5.1 Employees who resign from the Public Service, having completed at least five continuous years of assignment at isolated posts, shall be reimbursed the relocation expenses referred to in Section 4.10 (Payment of Expenses), in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would have been incurred in relocating to their normal place of residence.

4.6.1 When employees who have received any benefits pursuant to 3.3.3 or 3.3.4, have completed their specified period appointment at an isolated post, and have been at their headquarters for one year or less, they shall be reimbursed the amount of the transportation and travelling expenses they incur in leaving the headquarters

1. for themselves, if assigned for a period of less than three months; and
2. for themselves and their dependants, if assigned for a period of three months or more,

up to the amount of the expenses that would have been incurred in travelling to the point of departure.

4.7.1 When employees have received any benefits pursuant to 3.3.3 or 3.3.4., have completed their specified period appointment at an isolated post, and have been at their headquarters for more than one year and less than five years, they shall be reimbursed the expenses referred to in Section 4.10, in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would have been incurred in relocating to the point of departure.

4.8.1 When employees rejected on probation have received any relocation benefit pursuant to 3.3.2 or have been hired at and served in isolated posts for five or more continuous years, they shall be reimbursed relocation expenses referred to in Section 4.10, in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would be incurred in relocating to their normal place of residence.

4.9.1 When employees are dismissed, discharged or released (pursuant to Section 11(2)(f) of the Financial Administration Act) after having completed at least five continuous years of assignment at isolated posts, they shall be reimbursed those expenses referred to in Section 4.10 up to an amount that would be incurred in relocating to their normal place of residence.

4.9.2 When employees are dismissed, discharged or released and have not completed at least five continuous years of assignment at isolated posts, the deputy head may authorize an advance in accordance with Section 4.3.

4.10.1 Subject to this part (see Appendix L), the total of the relocation expenses, in accordance with the Relocation - Integrated Relocation Program (IRP) Directive, that may be reimbursed to employees who relocate to a location other than their headquarters or to accommodations at the headquarters as a direct result of being required to vacate government-owned or government-leased accommodations, shall be limited to:

1. the relocation expenses for household and personal effects and private motor vehicles or recreational vehicles, including those that may be in storage pursuant to Section 3.5 (Storage of Effects);
2. transportation and travelling expenses for employees and their dependants; and
3. up to six days' interim accommodation.

4.10.2 Whenever employees are eligible for reimbursement of expenses under this part they shall, upon request, be granted an accountable advance. The advance should normally be provided before the trip begins. However, when this is not possible, the advance should be given at the first location en route where such payment is feasible.

4.11.1 For the purpose of this part, the following persons shall be deemed dependants:

1. an unmarried person who was a dependant on the date the employee was assigned to the headquarters; and
2. family members who are permanently residing with the employees but who are precluded from qualifying as dependants under the Income Tax Act because they are in receipt of pensions.

4.12.1 Subject to this section, no amount may be paid in respect of expenses that are incurred later than the thirtieth day following termination of employment.

4.12.2 When transportation for household and personal effects is not available within the 30-day period, expenses may be reimbursed if the effects are transported at the earliest date transportation is available.

4.12.3 When an employee dies, the time period may be extended for such longer period as the deputy head deems necessary.

4.12.4 Deputy heads may, under exceptional circumstances, extend the period for a period of up to six months.

4.12.5 The President of the Treasury Board may, on written application, authorize the payment of amounts that are prohibited by this section.

4.13.1 No recovery will be made when employees cease to be employees by reason of their retirement, disability, a work force adjustment or termination for reasons other than breaches of discipline or misconduct.

4.13.2 Subject to this section, when employees, except those referred to in Sections 4.2 and 4.14 resign from the Public Service, having received any benefits pursuant to Section 2.4 (Vacation Travel Assistance) within the preceding three months (if the headquarters has an environment classification of 1 or 2) or within the preceding five months (if the headquarters has an environment classification of 3, 4 or 5) the amount of these benefits shall be:

1. deducted from the amount that would have been paid pursuant to this part; or
2. be considered a debt owing the Government when there are insufficient funds payable pursuant to this part or employees are not eligible to any benefits of this part.

4.13.3 No recovery shall be made when the vacation travel expense benefits are carried over pursuant to Section 2.7, or when employees resign in a fiscal year other than the fiscal year in which they received those benefits.

4.13.4 When the headquarters has an environment classification of 1 or 2, the amount of the benefits recoverable shall be pro-rated as follows:

 

Resigns	Trip(s) taken	Recovery
Apr. 1 to Sept. 30	1	A
Apr. 1 to Sept. 30	2	A plus 2nd trip
Oct. 1 to Mar. 30	1	Nil
Oct. 1 to Mar. 30	2	B

A means (Number of incomplete months of service between April 1 and September 30) X 1^st trip ÷ 6.

B means (Number of incomplete months of service between October 1 and March 31) X 2^nd trip ÷ 6.

Trip(s) (voyage(s)) means the benefits of Section 2.4 received within three months preceding the date of resignation.

Incomplete months of service (mois de service incomplets) means calendar months in which the employee did not earn at least 10 days' pay.

4.13.5 When the headquarters has an environment classification level of 3, 4 or 5, the amount of benefits recoverable shall be pro-rated as follows:

(Number of incomplete months of service in the fiscal year) X trip ' 12.

Trip(s) (voyage(s)) means the benefits of Section 2.4 received within five months of the date of resignation.

Incomplete months of service (mois de service incomplets) means calendar months in which the employee did not earn at least 10 days' pay.

Note:

Subject to 4.13.1, the provisions of this section shall apply to all employees, including local hires, whether or not they relocate from the isolated post. (revised April 2004)

4.14.1 Subject to this section, when employees or their dependants die, the deputy head shall authorize the reimbursement to those employees or their estates of the expenses incurred in

1. the preparation of the remains for transportation, other than the cost of embalming or cremation,
2. the extra cost in respect of a container for the remains, if required by the carrier, and
3. the transportation expenses in respect of the remains from the headquarters to the final place of rest in Canada, or to the last place in Canada from which the remains are to be transported to the final place of rest outside Canada.

4.14.2 When an employee dies and the surviving dependants relocate, they shall be reimbursed the benefits of Section 4.10 in an amount that does not exceed the amount that would have been incurred in relocating to their normal place of residence.

4.14.3 The weight restrictions specified in Section 3.4.1 shall be determined as if the relocation occurred immediately before the death of the employee.

4.14.4 When an employee dies and the surviving dependants travel from the headquarters to attend the funeral, the deputy head shall direct that the transportation and travelling expenses incurred by them in respect of that travel be reimbursed in an amount not to exceed the amount that would have been incurred in travelling to the point of departure and back by the mode(s) of transportation used by them.

---

5.1.1 The locations named in Appendix A are hereby designated as isolated posts.

5.1.2 An isolated post shall have environment, living cost, and fuel and utilities classifications as set out in Appendix A.

Criteria

5.2.1 Subject to Section 1.15 (Leave Without Pay or Absence Without Leave), qualification for an environment allowance is a prerequisite for all other allowances and benefits under this directive, except for the special location allowance.

5.2.2 The classifications of isolated posts (Appendix A) are determined in accordance with the following criteria:

1. population;
2. climate;
3. topography; and
4. availability of commercial transportation or access by all-weather roads.

These criteria are set out in Appendix H.

5.2.3 North of 60^th Parallel: Upon written request of a deputy head, a location that is north of the 60^th parallel of latitude shall be designated as an isolated post and shall be classified at environment level 1 or any higher level determined by the criteria set out in Appendix H, Section 1.

5.3.1 The population of a location is the number of people who inhabit that location as set out in:

1. the most current census of population of Canada;
2. a provincial or municipal record of population; or
3. a record of any other local authority.

5.3.2 The population of a location may be fixed by the Treasury Board Secretariat on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, when that population

1. cannot be clearly determined pursuant to 5.3.1; or
2. is the aggregate of the populations of locations that are amalgamated with, or close to, that location.

5.4.1 Population less than 10,000: A location south of the 60^th parallel of latitude may be designated as an isolated post if

1. it has a population of less than 10,000; and
2. it is not accessible by means of an all-weather road; or
3. it is accessible by means of an all-weather road, but is more than
   1. 161 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60^th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 10,000, and
   2. 322 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60^th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 50,000, and
4. it is entitled to 50 points or more in accordance with the Environment Allowance criteria set out in Appendix H, section 1.

5.4.2 Population 10,000 - 15,000: When an isolated post south of the 60^th parallel of latitude attains a population of 10,000 but not more than 15,000, it shall remain in Appendix A if it is:

1. not accessible by an all-weather road; or
2. accessible by means of an all-weather road and is more than 1,610 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60^th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 100,000.

5.4.3 Population more than 15,000: When the population of an isolated post south of the 60^th parallel of latitude exceeds 15,000, it shall be deleted from Appendix A.

5.4.4 An isolated post south of the 60^th parallel of latitude, located less than 161 kilometres by road from an isolated post referred to in 5.4.2, shall remain in Appendix A until:

1. the population of the isolated post referred to in 5.4.2 exceeds 15,000; or
2. its deletion is recommended for other reasons pursuant to this part.

5.5.1 The Treasury Board Secretariat may

1. add to Appendix A the name of a location that conforms with the rules prescribed in Sections 5.2.3 and 5.4, or
2. delete from Appendix A the name of a location that does not conform with the rules prescribed in Sections 5.2.3 and 5.4.

5.6.1 The Treasury Board Secretariat shall direct the addition of the name and classification of a location to Appendix G when that location conforms with the criteria set out in Appendix H, section 4.

5.6.2 The Treasury Board Secretariat shall delete the name of a location from Appendix G when that location does not conform with the criteria set out in Appendix H, section 4.

5.7.1 The Treasury Board Secretariat shall cause each employee affected to receive written notice of the change, when:

1. a location is deleted from Appendix A;
2. the rates set out in Appendix B, C, D or M are revoked; or
3. the living cost or fuel and utilities differential classification of a location is revoked.

5.7.2 EA: When written notices have been received by employees, the amount of their environment allowance shall be reduced by

1. one-third of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received,
2. one-third of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the 13^th calendar month after the month in which written notice was received, and
3. the remainder on the first day of the 22^nd calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

5.7.3 LCD, F&UD, Other Benefits: The living cost differential, fuel and utilities differential and, subject to 5.7.4 and 5.7.5, the other benefits of an employee that are revoked shall terminate on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which the employee received written notice.

5.7.4 SCD: When the shelter cost differential of a location referred to in Appendix M is revoked, the change shall be effective on the date agreed upon within the National Joint Council.

5.7.5 Vacation Travel Assistance and Post-Secondary Education Travel: The benefits referred to in sections 2.4 to 2.9 inclusive shall end on the first day of the 16^th calendar month after the month in which written notice was received, if the employee affected by the change was entitled to them on the date that the change was made.

5.7.6 Relocation Upon End of Employment: The benefits referred to in sections 4.2, 4.5 and 4.14 shall not terminate if the employee affected by the change was entitled to them on the date the change was promulgated.

5.8.1 The Treasury Board Secretariat may, with respect to a location named in Appendix A, F or G, establish, vary, or revoke any classification of that location in conformance with the criteria.

5.8.2 The Treasury Board Secretariat may delete the name of a location from Appendix F when:

1. the National Joint Council determines that there are suitable accommodations available for employees with dependants at the headquarters of the employee; or
2. the location is deleted from Appendix A.

5.9.1 The rates set out in Appendices B, C, D and M are hereby established for the environment allowance, the living cost differential, the fuel and utilities differential and the shelter cost differential respectively.

5.9.2 The Treasury Board Secretariat may, in accordance with the approved methodologies, vary the rates set out in Appendices B, C and M, effective on the dates specified in the approved methodologies.

5.9.3 When the change is not in accordance with the approved methodologies, the President of the Treasury Board, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, may vary or revoke the rates set out in Appendix B or C, effective on the dates specified by the President.

5.9.4 The President of the Treasury Board, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, may vary or revoke the rates set out in Appendix D, effective on the date specified by the President.

Effects of Changes

5.10.1 When a location is added to Appendix A pursuant to section 5.5,

1. the environment allowance, living cost differential, the fuel and utilities differential and shelter cost differential (if applicable) are payable from the date specified by the Treasury Board Secretariat; and
2. the employee affected is eligible for the other benefits of the directive from the effective date of the addition.

5.11.1 EA: When the environment classification of an isolated post is raised,

1. the increase to the environment allowance is effective on the date specified by the Treasury Board Secretariat; and
2. the change in the other benefits of the directive, if any, is effective on the date the increase is announced.

5.11.2 LCD: When the living cost differential classification of a location referred to in Appendix A or G is raised, the change shall be effective on the first day of the month following the month in which the Treasury Board Secretariat receives notification of the change from Statistics Canada.

5.11.3 F&UD: When the fuel and utilities differential classification of a location referred to in Appendix A or G is raised, the change shall be effective on the date agreed upon within the National Joint Council.

5.11.4 SCD: When the shelter cost differential of a location referred to in Appendix M is raised, the change shall be effective on the date agreed upon within the National Joint Council.

5.12.1 The Treasury Board Secretariat shall cause each employee affected to receive written notice of the change, when

1. the rates set out in Appendix B, C, D or M are reduced; or
2. the environment, living cost differential or fuel and utilities differential classifications of a location are reduced.

5.12.2 EA: When written notices have been received by employees, the amount of their environment allowance shall be reduced by

1. one-half of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received; and
2. the balance of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the 13th calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

5.12.3 Other Allowances and Benefits: The total amount of the reduction in the living cost differential, the fuel and utilities differential, the shelter cost differential, the special location allowance, and any benefits of the employees affected by the change to the environment classification shall be effective on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

5.13.1 Employees whose assignment began on or after the date that a reduction or revocation of any allowance was made shall be

1. deemed to have received any written notice referred to in this part; and
2. paid allowances calculated at the rate in effect, from time to time, as if they had received such written notices on the earliest date that other employees received that notice.

---

6.1.1 To carry out its responsibilities, the Government of Canada must be able to house employees in all parts of the country. Accommodation is only provided where:

1. it is necessary for the delivery of government programs to combine an employee's place of work and residence or for the employee to live at the job location; or
2. no suitable living accommodation is available in the vicinity.

6.1.2 It is the policy of the government that occupants of Government Housing be accorded treatment equivalent to that accorded to persons renting similar accommodation from private or commercial sources. Rents for Government Housing must be fair and equitable and be based on the following principles:

1. they should not form part of an employee's compensation and should be comparable to those paid for a dwelling of similar size and condition in similar markets;
2. they should reflect any factors which affect the quiet enjoyment or the privacy of the occupant and thus the value of the accommodation.

Part I

6.2.1 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) shall determine the BSV of self-contained accommodation in relation to:

1. where a market can be identified locally, dwellings of similar size, type and condition; or
2. where no viable market exists, dwellings of similar size, type and condition in the nearest location where a viable market exists, with appropriate local adjustments.

6.3.1 Housing Norm: When providing government housing, departments shall attempt to allocate appropriate size dwellings on the premise of one bedroom for each household member.

6.3.2 Employee Couples: For purposes of this section, when both members of a couple are federal employees, they shall sign and remit, to the employing department(s), a joint declaration indicating which of the two shall be charged the rent.

6.4.1 Where Government Housing is provided, subject to the criteria in the application section, departments shall maintain a priority list and allocate suitably sized vacant units in accordance with the following descending order of priorities:

1. employees, residing in pool housing, requesting to be moved to a more suitable unit in the same pool as a result of changing household size, medical or other compelling reasons;
2. employees moving to the location and having no permanent accommodation at the location;
3. employees residing outside pool housing at that location but having inadequate accommodation at the location by reason of changing family circumstances, loss of previous accommodation or other reasons based on personal need; and
4. local residents, housing associations or organizations (these are charged market rents and leased on a month-to-month basis).

6.5.1 Departments have the responsibility of ensuring that the initial assignment of accommodation is appropriate. Employees will be given accommodation options, where practicable, on a first-come, first-served basis. If an employee later requests and is provided with a different unit at the same location, he will be responsible for the resulting removal costs. Should the employer require that the employee move, the employing department shall absorb the relocation costs.

6.6.1 It is not the intent of this provision to permit the employer to force a family to occupy shared, self-contained accommodation.

6.6.2 For purposes of this section, when the Employer requires two or more employees, who would normally live separately to share accommodation, their individual share of the rent charge shall be prorated by the number of occupants (i.e. 2 employees Õ rent share is 50% of total rent for unit; 3 employees Õ rent share is 33.3% of total rent for unit).

6.6.3 Appendix N entitled Occupancy Agreement for Government Housing shall apply equally to the Employer and to each occupant of the shared, self-contained accommodation.

6.6.4 Regulations for sharing should form part of the Generic agreement for employee occupancy of Government-provided accommodation, e.g. attachments to the agreement, in order to clarify responsibilities of individual occupants.

6.7.1 Departments shall apply a "Loss of Privacy and Quiet Enjoyment" adjustment if warranted. The adjustments for varying types and frequencies of intrusions are outlined in the following table. The maximum adjustment shall not exceed 50% of the rent.

 

Intrusion Type	Frequency
	High	Moderate	Low
Availability to the Public	30%	20%	10%
Public Use of Living Facilities	20%	13%	6%
Offensive Noise	20%	13%	6%

Frequency: The frequency of the occurrence of the intrusion should be judged as follows:

high: on average, more than twice per week

moderate: on average, more than twice per month

low: on average, less than twice per week or month

6.7.2 Employee Without Dependants: Where an employee without dependants is allocated a unit with more than one bedroom, the rent charged shall be 60% of the full rent for that dwelling.

6.7.3 Rent will not be adjusted when an employee with one or more dependants is assigned a unit that is larger than the norm. Similarly an adjustment will not be made when the unit is smaller than the norm.

6.8.1 Private Accommodation: A Shelter Cost Differential is payable to employees at certain isolated posts (see Appendix M) to help offset the higher shelter charges experienced there.

6.8.2 The SCD represents the difference between the average rent for a three-bedroom detached bungalow at the isolated post and the national average rent for a similar unit at the 12 locations identified as points of departure (POD) in the definition section of this directive.

Example:

Average 3-bedroom market rent at post is $1300/month; National average is: $1000/month;

The SCD: $300/month or $3600 per year.

6.8.3 Government Housing: For employees occupying Government Housing, the SCD is limited to the difference between the current average 3-bedroom rent in Government housing and the national average rent at the PODs.

Example:

Average 3-bedroom rent in GH: $1100/month; National average is: $1000/month;

The SCD in Government Housing: $100/month or $1200 per year.

6.8.4 Subject to this section, where both members of a couple are federal government employees, the total amount of SCD payable shall not exceed 100% of the rate for an Employee with Dependants. An employee without dependants shall receive the SCD at 60% of that rate.

6.9.1 The rent charges determined in the preceding sections may only be further reduced in the following circumstances.

6.10.1 All parties will make every effort to correct problems as soon as possible. Where serious maintenance problems affecting the living standards of the accommodation are not corrected within 30 days, the department may suspend all or part of the rent charge until the problems are corrected. Reductions for maintenance problems should only be temporary and should only be made where damage to the accommodation was no fault of the occupant. For example, disruption of normal services, breakdown in sewer and water facilities, leaks, serious health and safety concerns, etc.

6.11.1 When a Government housing unit has been identified as surplus, the department may reduce the rent by up to 25 per cent to encourage the employee to occupy it. The department shall consult with other departments in the same community to discuss the application of the incentive and ensure equitable treatment among all employees.

6.11.2 The occupancy incentive shall be temporary in nature and shall be reviewed annually. Furthermore, those units where the occupancy incentive has been applied shall be reviewed by departments for disposal.

6.12.1 Where the rent charge exceeds 25% of household income, the employee may apply to the department to have the rate reduced to this value. This application must be made within 20 working days of receipt of notification of rental charges and must provide the necessary details to substantiate the household income. Such request shall not be unreasonably denied.

6.12.2 This provision applies only in locations where no public housing (sometimes referred to as low rental housing) is immediately available and shall only apply to the final rate, i.e., after all adjustments have been applied.

6.12.3 The actual household income data on the date of application shall be used and retroactive salary increases thereafter shall be ignored, until the next annual rent review.

6.13.1 Self-contained living accommodation is provided with furniture where it is cost-beneficial to the federal government. This should take into account the cost of moving an employee's furniture in and out of the location as compared to the cost of providing and maintaining the furniture at the posted location and paying the cost of storing the employee's furniture and effects. No additional charge will be imposed for furnished living accommodation.

6.13.2 Shared accommodation shall be furnished. PWGSC shall provide furniture at pool housing locations when the above criteria are satisfied.

6.14.1 Suitable living accommodation is defined by the National Building Code of Canada (NBC).

6.14.2 Where feasible, departments shall upgrade those existing government housing units which do not conform with the residential standards.

Part II

6.15.1 Rental charges for Government housing shall be reviewed and adjusted annually. The normal date for implementation of revised charges will be August 1 of each year.

6.15.2 Occupants shall be given three months notice of any change in rent as the result of the annual review and such changes shall not be applied retroactively. To meet the August 1 implementation date, occupants must be advised in writing no later than April 30^th.

6.15.3 Occupants shall be given a three-month notice of any increase caused for reasons other than the annual review, and such changes shall not be applied retroactively. Decreases in charges for these reasons will be effective the day the occupant is so advised. All overpayments by the occupants will be adjusted retroactively to the date of error/change.

6.16.1 Where covered residential parking (garage or carport) forms part of a single-family dwelling (detached, semi-detached or row house) and is located on the property, the charge for this facility will be included in the base shelter value. Where parking is provided separately (i.e. off the property) or is for occupants of apartments or room/dormitory units, a separate charge will be imposed, determined by CMHC appraisal, based on charges for similar facilities on the applicable market (local, nearest appropriate location or major source of supply as per section 6.2)

6.17.1 To the extent practicable, government-owned living accommodation shall be individually metered for utilities (heat, light and water) with the occupant paying consumption charges directly to the supplier. Room/dormitory accommodation shelter charges include utilities and no separate metering is involved. Often it is not feasible to individually meter government-owned self-contained living accommodation because of high installation costs or because the Government of Canada is the supplier.

6.17.2 In such cases the occupant will be charged for utilities on the basis of living space at $0.96832 per 100m² multiplied by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (1991 = 100) for utilities as established by Statistics Canada for January of each year.

6.17.3 Where all utilities are not provided, the charge to the occupant shall be a percentage of the amount calculated as follows:

1. 50 per cent for fuel,
2. 40 per cent for electricity, and
3. 10 per cent for water.

6.17.4 Based on the January 1991 CPI for utilities of 124.7, the following are typical charges:

1. $0.96832 x 124.7 = $120.75/mo/100 square metres/65 square metres
2. 0.65 x $120.75 = $78.49

6.17.5 Where government-owned living accommodation is located at an isolated post, the department will pay to the supplier the actual costs incurred for utilities and charge the occupant the formula rate indicated above.

6.17.6 This practice will continue until the units have been adequately retrofitted or until an appropriate fuel and utilities allowance has been developed. Nevertheless, the occupant is responsible for ensuring that consumption is kept to a minimum consistent with environmental conditions and normal comfort levels.

6.18.1 No formal landlord-tenant relationship exists between the Government and employee-occupants of government-provided accommodation. However, departments should sign occupancy agreements so that mutual responsibilities are clearly understood. Appendix N provides a sample generic occupancy agreement and related terms and conditions. Departments are encouraged to utilize this document to ensure the uniform treatment of occupants. Additional clauses may be appended to these terms and conditions to reflect peculiar local requirements.