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Back: Karl Schubert of BHP Billiton, Dennis Marchiori of the City of Yellowknife, Byrne Richards, then co-chair of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, Foreground: Kate Wilson member of the priority 2 committee, Lyda Fuller, director of YWCA Yellowknife, president of BHP Billiton, Paul Harvey, Dayle Handy transitional home co-ordinator, and members of priority 2 committee, Bree Denning and current co-chair Amanda Mallon, were all smiles when Harvey handed over a cheque for $700,000 to for the Betty house in May of last year. Fuller quit the homelessness coalition last month in a letter partially directed at Mallon, claiming "disrespectful behaviour" and a lack of effort fundraising for BETTY house. - NNSL file photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Yellowknife YWCA is walking away from the table after months of inactivity and "disrespectful behavior" during meetings of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, according to the group's executive director.

Lyda Fuller announced the decision to pull the YWCA out in a letter dated June 1 and in an e-mail sent the day before to members of the homelessness coalition, where she cites frustration and a counter-productive nature of the meetings in regard to the BETTY House project. The letter was obtained by News/North last week.

"I have no wish to be part of a group that condones disrespectful behavior," she stated of the coalition, which is co-chaired by city councillor Amanda Mallon and Pastor Kirk Tastad of the Yellowknife Holy Family Lutheran Church.

The BETTY House, an acronym for Better Environment to Transition in Yellowknife, is a project more than two years in the making. The homelessness coalition used $935,000 in funding from the federal government through its Homelessness Partnering Strategy to purchase four lots on 54 Street in Oct. 2010.

The homelessness co-ordinator for coalition, Dayle Hernblad, had hoped the project would be completed by 2012 and estimated the price tag at $6 million.

Roughly $4 million has been raised since then but not a single shovel has touched the ground on 54 Street across from Aurora College.

When reached for comment Friday, Fuller said the architectural plans are essentially completed but is frustrated with the lack of fundraising that still needs to be done ­ $3 million worth, to be exact.

This past January a six-week advertising campaign ­ "I am BETTY" ­ was launched by the Yellowknife Community Foundation in order to support fundraising efforts for the BETTY House.

"People seem to think the money can be raised by special events and trade shows," Fuller said.

"Those are great for raising awareness but we need community leadership on the fundraising campaign. We need to put a face to it, someone who can ask his or her peers for significant money, someone who is passionate about the need for transitional housing for women."

Fuller's e-mail was sent to various coalition members. Her follow-up letter was to Mallon and Tastad.

"We do not find that sitting at the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition table has done anything to alleviate this escalating housing crisis for women and women with children," the letter read.

Fuller is especially frustrated with the rate at which funds are being raised. In her June 1 letter, she narrows it down: "It will take 295 years to raise the $3 million needed."

Tastad told News/North Friday that it is sometimes difficult to see eye-to-eye when so many different people are involved in a coalition.

"Any time you put a group of people like that in a room, there is potential for great things," he said.

"But what comes with that is everybody approaches the topic with their own passions and lenses, and sometimes you don't always agree on the best way to go forward. It's very sad the YWCA is leaving because they were a very valued, and founding, member of the coalition."

Seventy-five families are currently on a waiting list for transitional housing in Yellowknife, according to Fuller. She said families call her everyday, some crying, in search of a solution for their housing needs.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation provided $2.3 million in February toward the construction of the project. The future building will offer approximately 30 suites in a variety of affordable rental rates.

Mallon and Hernblad could not be reached for comment at press time.

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