Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 13/02) - A community-driven effort to help the city's homeless has 13 months to spend $793,030 from the federal government.

Ethel Blondin-Andrew announces the funding. The Homelessness coalition has 13 months to spend funds - Richard Gleeson/NNSL photo

"It will be just scraping the surface and, of course, that's just in Yellowknife," said Arlene Hache of the Yellowknife Women's Centre when asked how far the money would go toward addressing homelessness.

The chair of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition, Capt. Karen Hoeft of the Salvation Army, said the funding will contribute to a long-term approach to dealing with homelessness and the issues that lead to it.

Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew announced the funding Monday at a press conference held at the Salvation Army.

The funding comes out of the $1.5 million already earmarked for the NWT from the federal Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative.

Blondin-Andrew said the money is aimed at addressing the issues that underlie homelessness.

"You need to look at not only putting a roof over people's heads," said the Secretary of State for Children and Youth.

This week or next, the Coalition will take the first step toward distributing the money to non-profit groups, issuing a request for funding proposals.

A committee of the coalition will distribute the funding based on how closely proposals are based on priorities established by the coalition.

The pressure of finding emergency and transitional housing is likely to increase in the coming years.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem, another member of the committee, said the city is projected to grow by 300 to 1,200 families over the next five to 10 years.