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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A record number of families are on the waiting list to access YWCA Yellowknife's transitional and emergency housing program this fall, according to Julie Green, the organization's director of community relations.

Ali Hammoudi and his daughter Amira were residents of the YWCA's Rockhill Apartments in 2011. The YWCA sought donations for its Turn Up the Heat program to support the Rockhill, but fell $57,000 short of the $125,000 goal. - Kirsten Murphy photo In the last fiscal year, 68 families lived at Rockhill in both emergency and transitional housing. The annual budget for Rockhill is about $800,000. The rent has only been raised once in 10 years. Staff provide 10,000 hours of program support to tenants each year. Source: YWCA

"We had 157 families waiting (for a place in Rockhill Apartments) as of the end of September," she said. "It's the largest number that there has ever been in the 15 years of the program."

Green said the long lineup may be attributed to issues of affordability, evictions, and an influx of people into Yellowknife looking for better services. She said families that can't get into the program right away are often forced to stay with family or friends in cramped conditions or stay in tents if need be.

Since 1997, the YWCA has housed families in its 32-unit Rockhill apartment building with stays usually lasting up to one year. Clients pay $1,150 a month in rent for a one-bedroom suite or $1,350 for a two-bedroom unit. The apartments are open to single parents and double-parent families who would otherwise be homeless. Five Rockhill units are used for emergency housing free of charge for a duration up to three months.

The organization sought donations for its Turn Up the Heat campaign, which launched on Sept. 22 with a goal to raise $125,000 to help offset the operational costs of Rockhill.

The campaign, which ended on Friday, was helped along by a $60,000 donation from BHP Billiton, which represents the third instalment of the company's three-year $125,000 pledge.

The campaign allowed donors to buy increments of heat for Rockhill; $10 for one hour, $125 for half a day; $250 for a whole day, and $1,700 for a week.

The transitional and emergency programs of Rockhill are designed to meet some of the housing needs of Yellowknife's low-income families and provide services to help them leave transitional and emergency living.

Christine Baker, who left Rockhill in August after a two-year stay, said she sought housing through the YWCA when she returned to Yellowknife with her three young children after fleeing an abusive relationship in Calgary.

"Incredibly, it almost doubled to rent an apartment during the 12 years I was gone," Baker said. "It was helpful to myself and my family not only for financial reasons but for the support provided to us. The children are happier now and they're not as nervous."

Support staff offer guidance in resolving issues that have destabilized the family and led to their homeless situation. Staff also teach life skills such as literacy, cooking, and parenting. The housing program provides residents with a tenancy record so that they may find private or public housing once they leave the program.

Green cites a May 2012 Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation's findings that the average one bedroom apartment in Yellowknife costs $1,610 per month, making first month's rent with damage deposit $3,220. Yellowknife's minimum wage is 43 cents below the territorial average hourly wage of $10.43. For a double income family working at minimum wage, the take-home salary would be $40,600 before deductions and $19,320 of that amount will go toward rent, Green said.

Rent charged by the YWCA only pays for half of the operating expenses of the program with the rest coming from the GNWT and donations. Green said she approached BHP Billiton because its charitable donation requirements were based on the United Nations Millennium Goals to end poverty and homelessness.

The YWCA's Turn Up the Heat campaign received almost $8,000 in public donations along with BHP Billiton's $60,000 donation, leaving the organization $57,000 short of the $125,000 it was looking to raise by Oct. 20.

Green said the YWCA accepts donations for Rockhill all year.

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