The first of many pre-fabricated homes are finally headed to Attawapiskat, months after the troubled Aboriginal community was thrust into the national spotlight amid a severe housing crisis, CTV News has learned.

With frigid temperatures gripping the northern edge of Ontario, the long-awaited arrival of the two first homes on Saturday will provide warmth and shelter for some community members.

While the temperature can kill, the cold weather finally allowed officials on Monday to open the ice road that is the only land link to Attawapiskat.

But the road will only accessible for the next few weeks, and while about 90 people wait for the arrival of their new homes, there's a key problem.

According to officials, there may be a nagging issue about where exactly the homes will be placed. In fact, some of the placement lots for the homes don't appear to be ready.

While long-term solutions lay in political co-operation, it seems that the short-term problems are also linked to politics.

The local band council has been locked in a power struggle with the federal government since the James Bay community became a symbol for Aboriginal social strife in November. The key battle has centered upon the government's appointed third party manager, who was brought in against the band's wishes to get their finances in order.

That conflict has again pitted the band council, led by Chief Theresa Spence, against the federal government.

NDP MP Charlie Angus, who has been a key political voice in the ongoing debate over the community's future, said the blame for the plot problems should be squarely placed on the shoulders of the federal government.

"This would have all been ready, as soon as those trucks hit the community, those houses would've been going on the site, right now a lot of uncertainty," he said.

He stressed that Ottawa's appointee hadn't released important funding, so workers on the ground could not ensure the housing sites were ready. The workers were to be assisted by staff from the nearby De Beers diamond mining operation.

The 22 modular homes, ordered in December as the political scandal over Attawapiskat raged in Ottawa, cost $2.4 million. De Beers signed on to be the project manager for the project, which includes servicing the homes.

"Modular homes for Attawapiskat had to be taken off the trucks because the third-party manager screwed up. He has been withholding the funds needed by the De Beers technical team to get the site work done in Attawapiskat."

However, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan said that the government has done what it can to ensure the project runs smoothly.

"We have offered to help the band council fulfill its responsibility to complete preparation of the lots for the installation of these homes on a priority basis," he said.

But the federal government, in a court hearing, said that when the invoices were released the third-party manager, the funds would be released.

With such a narrow window for delivery, the key plan now is to ship the homes and get them to the site while working out the details later.

By that time, perhaps mid-March, some warmer weather may have already arrived, removing the pressing need for the homes.

With a report from CTV's Daniele Hamamdjian