Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 17/00) - Ian has been living at the Yellowknife Home for the Homeless for several weeks while looking for a job.

But he will be kicked out of his temporary home at the end of the month. He is one of nine people who should not be living at the 10-bed shelter, according to the NWT Housing Corporation.

"I don't know where I'll go," he said. "I'll probably go south at this point. It's too bad. I've been here (in Yellowknife) two years and I want to stay."

Ian, who won't release his last name, cannot stay at the shelter because he is not from Yellowknife and does not receive income support. Residents are supposed to meet these two conditions before they are allowed to stay at the Home for the Homeless.

The shelter's head supervisor, Ernie Glowach, said the NWT Housing Corporation, which runs the home, cracked down on who can live there after shelter worker Chris Green was stabbed last week.

"I think the stabbing scared them," he said. "They didn't expect these things to happen, but they can. Thank goodness they don't happen very often."

Tom Beaulieu, president of the housing corporation, said anyone who wants to stay at the home must have a letter from the income support office.

"Only one of the clients fit our requirements," he said. "They're mostly transients from outside town."

He said these rules have been in place since the shelter opened in October 1998.

Glowach said he was aware residents had to live in Yellowknife.

"But when I was told people had to be from Yellowknife, it left a large margin," Glowach said. "To me, if someone has lived here three months, they're considered a Yellowknife resident."

As for getting a letter from income support, Glowach said it's unlikely.

"Try to get an appointment with income support," he said. "When people need a place to stay, they need it right away."

Green, the worker who was attacked when a man broke into the shelter, said the housing corporation "just doesn't get it."

"They've said they're trying to keep people like that out of the shelter," Green said. "But he was never allowed in the shelter. That's why he broke in."

As for the nine men who will be homeless again in April, Beaulieu said arrangements have been made with the Salvation Army's emergency shelter.

The home will stay open another month or so, and then will be closed.

Capt. Karen Hoeft of the Salvation Army confirmed the shelter will take a few of the men, but only if they truly need emergency shelter.

"If someone has a full-time job, they don't need emergency shelter, do they?" she said. "If they need emergency shelter, we're here, but they won't be admitted if they're drunk or violent and a risk to other clients.

"We work very closely with the RCMP and the clients to make sure no one freezes to death on our streets."

Hoeft said a group of organizations have been meeting to find a long-term solution to homelessness.

She said the groups will contact the press once it has figured out what it will do.

In the meantime, shelter residents are contacting friends and making plans for the end of the month.

"I'll stay a few days here and a few days there with friends," said Brad, who has been at the home two weeks. "I don't want to overstay my welcome."