Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 30/05) - The YWCA of Yellowknife has purchased its third property in an effort to secure housing for adults with disabilities on income support.

The housing market in the city is so hot the supply of apartments for people with disabilities is shrinking, said Lyda Fuller, the executive director of the YWCA.

"I can see our people being pushed right out of the housing market," Fuller said.

Finding housing is part of the organization's mandate for clients in their in-home support program.

This is the third house the YWCA has purchased in the downtown area. Fuller said the other houses have been a success for their occupants.

"We've had a great response from the community, they've been very accepting," Fuller said.

Three women with developmental disabilities will be living in the newly purchased split-level house.

The women, who are currently roommates in an apartment, are already picking out paint colours for their new home.

"They are just so excited," said Fuller.

It was a long search to find an affordable property, Fuller said. They heard about this house through word of mouth.

The YWCA used their small surplus from the last fiscal year to make the down payment.

Rent from the three residents will cover the mortgage. Fuller said the women will have a secure tenancy because the rent won't rise unless the mortgage payments do.

"The YWCA is not out to make money, but to secure social housing," she said.

The YWCA's ability to buy houses has been made possible by the NWT Housing Corporation.

As a non-profit organization the YWCA needs someone to backstop the mortgages. The Housing Corporation has been a guarantor for all three houses.

"We see some benefits to the people who use the buildings, it gives them some stability," said Jeff Anderson, the chief financial officer for the Housing Corporation.

The partnership between the two organizations should continue into the future, Anderson said.

The YWCA is still house hunting, but the next one will be harder to find.

Fuller is looking for a one-storey house that can be converted for wheelchair access and is user friendly for adults with visual impairments.

Despite the difficulties she expects in trying to find a property to match these needs, Fuller is unfazed.

"My goal is a house a year," she said.