Inuvik (Dec 03/04) - As the dead of winter approaches, the homeless of Inuvik are once again being left to their own devices.

There are a lot of stakeholders and plenty of ideas, but still no tangible solution to Inuvik's homelessness problem has been achieved. It's now more than a year after the town's interagency committee released its report "Homelessness in Inuvik."

"It looks like it's back to RCMP cells being the unofficial homeless shelter, which is not appropriate," said Alana Mero, chair of the Inuvik Interagency Committee.

Within the committee, a homelessness sub-committee has been formed.

Since November 2003 -- when the homelessness report was released -- architectural drawings for a 9,000 square foot, two-storey shelter have been completed.

The problem now is determining a suitable location for the shelter and finding the $1 million needed to build it.

As to where the shelter could be built, the Town of Inuvik is on board, according to Mero, and recently proposed two lots at the west end of Mackenzie Road as a possibility.

However, one resident's opposition to that location means the search continues for a suitable site.

Homelessness activist John Dixon says an idea to house the homeless in heated tents -- at least in the meantime -- is also stuck in limbo.

"It's getting cold out there so let's put the tents into play," Dixon said, leaning against one of several tents built by Chii Construction. The tents are currently sitting in storage at the Gwich'in stockyard on Navy Road.

However, Nihtat Gwich'in community co-ordinator and acting manager of Chii Construction Frank Edwards says it's not as simple as it sounds.

"It's a liability issue," he said from his office Tuesday afternoon. "We're trying to help them out as best we can, but I would be very cautious about giving out a tent. All we need is for one to burn down and then who is responsible?"

Since the weather has turned cold, the tents waiting in the stock yard have had to be boarded up as a safety precaution.

According to Edwards, some homeless were sleeping in them at night and burning wood from the yard to keep warm.

"(The) tents are so close together that all it would take is one spark and the whole yard could go up," he said.

Edwards said the town first suggested putting the tents at the end of Navy Road, but that was too far from town. Then the old airstrip was proposed, but it was determined to be too close to town.

The fire risk and location difficulties aside, one has to consider the people being sheltered.

Inuvik's Turning Point on Kingmingya Road is the town's only emergency shelter, but the policy is that those under the influence of alcohol or drugs are restricted from bedding down at the facility.

Simply plopping a tent down anywhere and expecting people who are inebriated to take care of themselves is not going to be enough, according to Edwards.

Making sure the tenants have enough wood, or the capacity to get it, he added, is another factor, as is ensuring the location is easily accessible.