An Attawapiskat man is trying to gather signatures for a petition asking that a third-party manager appointed by the federal government be allowed to come to the remote northern Ontario reserve to give residents an update on the band's finances.

The band council in Attawapiskat went all the way to federal court earlier this month in an effort to block third party management. That bid failed but more legal proceedings are pending, CBC's Megan Thomas said.

The band accuses the federal government of deflecting attention away from chronic underfunding by alleging mismanagement.

Chief Theresa Spence said she is not giving up the fight.

"It's the wrong timing. Throwing the third party into our crisis is not a solution. We need partners on this."

But not everyone is standing behind the chief.

The modular homes were shipped to Moosonee and then hauled to Attawapiskat on ice roads. (CBC)

"To this day we never have any answers from chief and council," said Lindy Shisheesh.

Shisheesh wants to know more about how the reserve ended up with such a severe housing crisis. His cousin, former deputy chief of the reserve Greg Shisheesh, worked with him on the petition but he died last week.

Shisheesh said he doesn't know if outside management is the right thing, but he's willing to give it a try.

"We are already in the dark ages. We have been there the last 10 or 15 years," he said.

Attawapiskat was thrust into the spotlight late last year when it declared a state of emergency because of a crisis that had some families living in underserviced buildings and makeshift shelters including sheds and tents.

The federal government's appointment of an outside manager on Nov. 30 in response to the situation has been opposed by the community's leadership from the beginning and prompted the court action.

In late November, the federal government put Attawapiskat under third-party management and ordered an audit to look into how federal funds were being spent.

In December, the federal government said it would pay for modular homes to help ease the housing shortage. The first of the 22 homes arrived earlier this month, though there were concerns over whether the lots would be ready to receive them because of a dispute over funding.

The last of the 22 modular homes have now travelled the 300-kilometre ice road from Moosonee to Attawapiskat, Thomas said. Several have been placed onto lots and utilities now have to be hooked up. Families who were making do in shacks with no plumbing are expected to start moving in within the next couple of weeks. With files from CBC's Megan Thomas and The Canadian Press