Yellowknife (Feb 21/05) - Since Christmas, a Hay River man has been without a home, except for shelter provided by a member of the clergy.

Joe, who requested his real name not be used, has been living in accommodations provided by Roman Catholic priest Bernie Black.

Joe, 37, says he broke up with his girlfriend at Christmas and had nowhere to stay.

"All I was doing was walking the streets at 40 below," he says. Sometimes he says he would start a "ruckus" downtown, so he would get locked up for the night by the RCMP and get out of the cold.

Even though he will qualify for Employment Insurance in several weeks, he says he still can't afford to get an apartment of his own.

"If it was warm out, I'd be grabbing a tent," he says.

As for what would have happened without the help of Father Black, Joe says, "I don't know, I'd probably be froze to death or something by now."

Joe says he believes the GNWT should offer more help to people like him.

"They should have some sort of housing that a person in my position can be put into," he says.

Joe, who is originally from New Brunswick, has been in Hay River for about a year.

He also lived in the community in 2001, and couldn't find accommodation then, either.

After staying in a van for a month, he got a job on a fishing boat and lived on the vessel.

Joe hopes to stay in Hay River, where he has a daughter, "and do what's expected of me as a father, but it sure is a tough go of it."

He says it's discouraging to be homeless. "You lose hope and get frustrated."

Several weeks ago, Joe turned to religion for help.

"I gave my heart to the Lord to see what he can do with it."