Homelessness an issue in towns across the territory
Terry Halifax
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 22/01) - Being kicked out of your house in Hay River no longer means you're out of luck.
Now there is the People's Place for guys like Colin, an unemployed labourer with a drinking problem.
"It's pretty hard to say where I'd be without this place," said Colin, 56.
"I've got no money and social services can only do so much."
Financed with federal money channelled through the friendship centre, community donations and a building on loan from the NWT Housing Corp., the People's Place opened last fall.
It began with a discussion among an ad hoc group of citizens concerned about the plight of the homeless in Hay River.
Vern Jones, executive director of the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, said that homeless people were "sleeping in the post office and garbage cans."
"There were concerns with winter coming and these people may end up out there frozen in the snow bank."
The group met with the NWT Housing Corp., MLAs, and town officials to find a solution.
Federal funding was available through the National Association of Friendship Centres to set up programs for the homeless. Seven communities were surveyed.
The conclusion was that "Yellowknife is the only place in the Northwest Territories that has a homeless problem," he said. "They shifted about $200,000 over there."
Dismayed by the result, which Jones called "ridiculous, the group refused to abandon the project.
"If you talk to other communities, Fort Smith has a homeless problem, Fort Simpson has a homeless problem and so does Inuvik," he said.
They decided to worry about funding later and pressed on.
The NWT Housing Corporation provided a building in old town and the friendship centre went to work cleaning it up.
Jones said they are relying on donations linens, furniture and food from the community.
The People's Place is an old convent , with room for eight clients, two resident attendants and a coordinator. It is home to two people who had nowhere else to go.
Colin is one of them. He helped pour the building's foundation in 1962. Now 56 and out of work, Colin was evicted and had no where to turn.
Colin has lived in Hay River since 1952 and worked most of his life as a labourer and heavy equipment operator. He has a drinking problem and that led to his eviction, but he hopes he'll be able to get back into housing soon.
"It's pretty hard to get a place in town and income support only pays us $32 a month and you can't get anything for $32, that's for sure," he said.
The People's Place makes him feel safe and he's happy for the help.
"I'm just grateful; it'll come in handy for a lot of people."
