Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 11/05) - Ottawa has chipped in $1.2 million toward a new facility for homeless men in Yellowknife.

The money, announced last week by Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Minister of State for Northern Development, is being matched by various territorial government departments. Federal funding comes from the $1.15 billion National Homelessness Initiative.

A man sleeps in the back entrance to a Yellowknife business while passersby ignore him. With little transitional housing and overcrowded shelters, the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition says the city's homeless problem is big one.

The Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition has yet to secure land and finalize plans for the building, but still hopes to make an announcement in September. The coalition includes the Salvation Army, YWCA and the Centre for Northern Families.

"There are so many extreme priorities, but the coalition has decided we're going to focus on single men this time," said Lydia Bardak, co-chair of the coalition.

As part of its planning, the coalition is looking at similar buildings elsewhere in Canada, including Marshall House that opened in Fort McMurray in 2004.

The $2.58 million facility has 29 suites of transitional housing where low income tenants can live until they find their own affordable housing option.

Gerry Cheezie, co-chair of the coalition, said he hopes the new building can go downtown. It may include dorms, a cafeteria and possibly space for agencies like legal aid.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem hinted the city, which has taken over the administration of the coalition from the Salvation Army, has a spot in mind but wouldn't be revealing it until the fall.

"It's still very early, but priorities have been picked and by September, hopefully, we can make the big announcement," he said.

Guessing the number of homeless people in Yellowknife is difficult, said Bardak.

She quoted the NWT Housing Corporation's need for 2,300 more homes in the territory to shed some light on the problem.

"Obviously we can set it, obviously the existing emergency shelters are turning people away and obviously we don't have transitional or supported or affordable housing in town," she said.

The Centre for Northern Families has 12 beds open to women and children, but regularly squeezes in 30 on sleeping mats.

The Salvation Army has room for just over 40 men, though they were turning away 30 men each night last November.

The YWCA has 30 transitional housing units in Rockhill Apartments for families and five others for emergency shelter.

The Homelessness Coalition has received $4 million from the National Homelessness Initiative since 2000.

Much of the money has been doled out for capital projects, like an eight-plex for single people in Yellowknife, two duplexes each in Dettah and Ndilo and a contribution to the addition built on the SideDoor Youth Centre.

The rest of the money has been used to increase staffing, staff training, and programs.