Welcome to MJHA

Sasktel SecurTek Medical Alert monitoring service provides a reduced rate for tenants of Saskatchewan housing authorities. 

Medical Alert is a personal emergency response system that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This is an optional program.  Tenants may use any provider they choose.

Click on the link for further information. SecurTek.com

Email: medical.alert@securtek.sk.ca

Telephone: 1-877-777-7590 mention that you are a tenant of a Saskatchewan housing authority.

MJHA staff will install your personal air conditioner(s).  There will be a sign-up list posted in your building in early spring, please note the sign-up deadline.  You are required to have your own air conditioner(s) and please indicate on the list if you have had this unit installed in previous years.  Timothy Eaton Gardens, Chester Road, River Drive and the 11th Avenue SW allow only portable air conditioner units.  River’s Edge does not permit air conditioners.

There is an annual fee to have an air conditioner installed and this fee will cover inspection, installation, removal and usage surcharge. The fee will be collected with your July rent, if your rent is automatically deducted from your back account your air conditioner fee will be automatically deducted as well.  If you come into the office to pay your rent, please include the additional amount for your air conditioner.

AIR CONDITIONER INSTALLATIONS WILL BEGIN IN MAY

Please have your air conditioner(s) out of storage and under the window you chose to have it installed in.  If you are unable to carry this unit yourself, you may need to find a family member or friend to help you.  If the air conditioner(s) are not out of storage, we will not install it.

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Moose Jaw Housing Authority at 306-694-4055.

BED BUG FACT SHEET

If you suspect you have bed bugs notify the MJHA office at 306-694-4055.

What are bed bugs?

Adult bed bugs are brown, wingless and are about the same size and shape as an apple seed; about 6 to 10 mm (1/4 inch) long. After feeding, they swell slightly in size and darken to a blood-red colour. Bed bugs are visible to the naked eye and are quite fast moving.

bed-bug-rendering-frontbed-bug-rendering-sidebed-bug-rendering-top

What do bed bugs feed on?

Bed bugs prefer to feed on human blood, but will also bite mammals and birds.
Bed bugs can survive many months without feeding.
Both male and female bed bugs bite.
How do I know if I’ve been bitten?

You may notice small blood spots on your bedding.
Reactions to bites vary between people. Some people don’t react to bedbug bites at all while others can have allergic reactions like itchy welts.
People with sensitivities may develop reddish, itchy bites.
Both male and female bed bugs bite.
Bedbug bites may go unnoticed, or be mistaken for flea or mosquito bites or other skin conditions.
Can I get sick from a bed bug bite?

Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease from one person to another person.
There are no known cases of infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites.
What can I do if I have or if I think I have bed bugs in my home?

There is only one course of action to take: Contact the Moose Jaw Housing Authority at 306-694-4055
How do bedbugs get into my home?

Bedbugs can be carried into a home on clothing, suit cases, bedding, mattresses and furniture.
They can travel between rooms.
What precautions can I take to ensure there are no bedbugs in my home?

Clean your house regularly, reducing clutter even vacuuming the mattresses. This may not completely prevent bedbugs, but it will reduce their hiding places.
Check any furniture or clothing you buy secondhand, INCLUDING also, inspect all luggage and clothing that comes into your home.
Inspect all places in your house that are warm, close to human contact and have plenty of hiding spaces. This includes mattresses, carpeting, pillows and sofa beds, as well as behind chairs and dressers.
Cover you mattress in plastic. This will prevent any bugs from getting in or out.
Consider getting rid of any old furniture, if you can. If there is the chances any bugs remain, this will help prevent them from multiplying in your home again.
How can I prevent bringing bedbugs home with me?

If you are visiting a house suspected of having bedbugs,

Take only what you need into the home. Leave unnecessary bags and articles of clothing (e.g. scarves, mitts, bags, etc.) behind.
Protect items from resting on the floor on upholstered furniture.
Keep personal and work items on tops of tables, your lap, or high upon the back of a non-upholstered chair (e.g. kitchen chair).
Inspect times that you brought into the home with you for insects before taking these items into your workspace or home.
If you are staying overnight in rented accommodations, such as a hotel or motel,

Inspect the room and furniture. If the situation allows, request a different room if you find evidence of bed bugs.
Protect your luggage. Keep luggage on a shelf and away from the floor.
Protect the bed. Move the bed away from the wall, tuck in all bed sheets and keep blankets from touching the floor.
Wash you clothes in the hot water cycle, and/or tumble them for at least 20 minutes on hot in the dryer.
Misconceptions about bedbugs

Bedbugs are not the result of poor hygiene or poor housekeeping – bedbugs can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Bed bugs do not eat bait – bedbugs feed only on blood.
Bedbugs are not transferred by sexual contact and do not transfer AIS, herpes or scabies. Bedbugs have not been associated with any disease transmission.
Bed bugs do not live on their host. They feed on blood from their host, but do not live on the host.
Bedbugs do not live in human hair and are not similar to body and pubic lice. Bedbugs are not lice.
Control of Bedbugs

Bed bugs are very difficult to eliminate but with the combined efforts of the Moose Jaw Housing Authority and the tenant, as well as qualified pest control technicians, these pests can be successfully eradicated. This is how it is done: the tenant must report, the landlord must coordinate efforts and the pest control technicians must treat the problem.

Everyone wants a great yard to enjoy all summer! Don’t have your own lawnmower? Tenants can pay a small fee and use ours!

Here’s how it works:

The program starts approximately at the beginning of May each year and goes all summer ending in the fall depending on the weather. At the beginning of the season, you pay an annual fee at the Moose Jaw Housing Authority Office.

Then:

Call the office at 306-694-4055 to book a date and time when you wish to use the lawnmower; morning, afternoon (Monday to Friday only), or overnight (Monday to Thursday only).
The lawnmower will be delivered to your home and picked up later that same day. You MUST be HOME when the lawnmower is delivered. It will not be dropped off if you are not home.
The lawnmower will not be dropped off if it is raining.
The lawnmower will always be full of gas and oil when delivered.
As an added bonus, and if time permits MJHA staff will trim the fence line and alleyway when the lawnmower is picked up!

FILTERS:  Furnace filters must be replaced regularly to ensure heat efficiency.  If not it costs the tenant more money because the furnace will run longer trying to reach the temperature the thermostat is set at. Change furnace filters once a month in the winter months and at least every three months during the summer months.  

KEEP CLEAN:  Do not store boxes, clothing, items, etc. within one meter of the furnace.  By blocking the spaces near the furnace, fresh air cannot circulate through the furnace and will cause it to work inefficiently and therefore the suite will not be as warm as it could be.  It is also dangerous because the furnace has an open flame pilot light.  The space around the furnace must be kept clear so maintenance and repair persons have access.

THERMOSTAT:  Turning the thermostat to the maximum temperature setting is not necessary if there is good air circulation in the home.  It can be costly for your power bill.  Instead of turning the thermostat to its highest setting, lower the setting and put on an extra sweater.  Make sure the house has good air circulation and none of the heat registers or cold air returns are covered.

HEAT REGISTERS/COLD AIR RETURNS:  Tenants may find the suite to be too cold and want to be warmer.  Sometimes this is caused by poor air circulation, which can also be the cause of some problems in the home. Do not cover heat registers and cold air returns in the house, particularly with furniture and extra rugs as this blocks air circulation.  If heavy and solid furniture, such as couches, beds, chairs, are covering heat registers, the heat becomes trapped under the furniture and will not blow into the room and heat it as it should because the hot air is blocked.  Some registers in the house are meant to draw in the cold air in the room to circulate it back to the furnace.  This creates air circulation and evens out the house temperature.  These registers must not be blocked by heavy furniture and/or rugs because the air will not circulate properly and warm air will not circulate through the house.  You can tell which is a hot air register and which is a cold air return by putting your hand in front of the vent or register when they are blowing and feel the difference.  Do not position furniture over top of or in front of either heat registers or cold air returns.  In some cases, there may be a need to either rearrange the furniture or reduce the amount of furnishings in the house to reach this goal.