IQALUIT - The Nunavut Housing Corporation recently announced a deal that will save the Iqaluit Oqota men's shelter from closure, transferring administration of the shelter to the Corp from the Salvation Army in six month's time.

The Iqaluit Oqota men's shelter was thrown a lifeline recently, allowing its doors to stay open for another six months. In the meantime, the Nunavut Housing Corporation will work on developing a new operating strategy for the shelter in order to make it sustainable. - Lauren McKeon/NNSL photo

"It was either that or we would have had 18 to 20 people that would have been turned out with the doors locked on them the 1st of July," said Peter Scott, president of the Housing Corp.

"There's just no other options in the city here for those people. I think it's a critical service to be providing to residents here."

Making the decision to act, however, is just the first step in saving the shelter. Over the next six months will come the hard part: figuring out a long-term, sustainable operating strategy by January.

The issue of homelessness is a new responsibility in the Housing portfolio and, as of now, the Housing Corp is not exactly sure what such a strategy might look like, said Scott.

"That's why we needed the Salvation Army back in there," said Scott. "To keep (things) moving for the next six months in order for us to determine exactly what it is we've got here, what it's going to cost and what's the best model to use, or implement, to run the shelter."

Scott added the Housing Corp is not interested in running the shelter itself and is looking at the possibility of reestablishing the Oqota shelter's board.

"All the questions on funding levels and all that kind of stuff we're going to have to figure out over the next six months," said Scott.

Earlier media reports indicated the shelter was facing a $300,000 deficit.

Salvation Army Major Fred Waters declined to confirm the amount but did say there are financial challenges to running a shelter in Iqaluit.

"It's a completely different ballgame … We run shelters in Yellowknife and Whitehorse that are just not faced with the same challenges," he said.

"There are certainly challenges … right across the North but certainly as you go from west to east across the country it becomes increasingly more difficult."

Waters used the price of groceries in each of the three territorial capitals to draw a comparison.

"I took a list and I went to Whitehorse, I went to Yellowknife and I went to Iqaluit … Whitehorse was actually about the same price as Edmonton; Yellowknife ran 25 to 30 per cent more than Edmonton; Iqaluit was 250 to 400 per cent more than Edmonton," he said.

And those higher costs get reflected in the operating bill.

"That's the challenge in the North," Waters said.

As the Salvation Army and the Housing Corp continue to combat that challenge, Waters said he hopes people in Iqaluit remember combating homelessness does not just fall to one organization.

"We've been really pleased with the support that the people of Iqaluit have given us. We've received donations … food and blankets and clothing," he said.

"We hope that … people will continue to see that taking care of those who are less fortunate in the community is not one organization's responsibility. It's shared by the entire community."