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IQALUIT - Iqaluit's first homeless shelter for women is without operational funding a couple months before planning to open its doors.

The YWCA Agvvik Nunavut was told a couple weeks ago Health and Social Services would not fund the new Sivummut House shelter as it had the Qimaavik shelter, which is specifically for women fleeing violence.

"We have been dealing with the department of Health and Social Services for many months," said Caroline Anawak, director for the two shelters. "We had given them a proposal in September. We met in October and November and, during that period of time, they looked at our budget and took our information and reflected on it, so we were completely taken aback when a week ago, they got a hold of us saying it was not within their mandate."

A building for Sivummut House has already been purchased with the help of the federal funding and donations of furnishings have been coming in locally, as well as from across the country.

"It's in the process of getting ready to go," said Sheila Levy, president of the YWCA Agvvik Nunavut. "We're having the renovations done and having it inspected and trying to get all the furniture."

While she doesn't lay any blame with the government, Levy said the news was disheartening.

"I had no problem with it not being under their mandate, but I wish we had known that from the beginning," she said. "It was very much a disappointment to, obviously, have to start all over again with another department. That's never good."

Rian Vanbruggen, representative for family violence with Health and Social Services, echoed the message that homelessness was not within the department's mandate.

"Homelessness is a separate portion that has been in the Department of Education," she said.

Prior to the recent cabinet shuffle, Minister Hunter Tootoo was responsible for Education, she added. While that portfolio has since been reassigned, he has retained a responsibility for homelessness.

It will now be up to the society to find out where to direct their request, said Vanbruggen.

"I did direct them to these other channels to reapply their proposal," she said.

The society is still hoping to open the shelter in April if they can secure funding through a different department.

"It's such a good service that's being provided, and in the end, it's probably going to cost the territory less money," said Levy. "That's what this whole thing is about is helping people help themselves."

In the meantime, until they find funding, the society is still looking for rugs and other furnishings to give the shelter a homier feel.

Levy expresses her gratitude to those who have already donated to the new shelter, and to the board, who has worked hard to provide a necessary service to the community.

"We have a really good board of directors now, and certainly, the executive have been working very hard, diligently, on all these issues," she said. "Nobody can do this on their own. The community has to get together and support these initiatives and we're very grateful to the community, and hopefully, to the government as well, because we're certainly going to need their support to offer this in a healthy and safe manner."