SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - With a $50,000 grant freshly deposited in the bank, the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition is ready to start designing a transitional home for women and children on 54 Street, across from Aurora College.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation presented a cheque to Dayle Handy, the homelessness coordinator for the city, on Wednesday.

The grant was the largest the foundation had ever handed out, said Daryl Dolynny, foundation president.

"We identified homelessness as one of the key areas that we wanted to be a part of and we felt this was an opportunity for us to take a leadership role," he said.

"We hope this serves as a catalyst for other organizations and businesses to recognize this need, not only for Yellowknife, but for the entire NWT."

The money will allow the coalition to start working with architects and engineers on a building that will house women and children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, Handy said.

"There are many women that are almost residing in the emergency shelters," she said. "There isn't the second stage housing for them that is a supportive environment to assist them, so we believe there is a huge need (for this transitional home)."

A budget hasn't been set for the project because the design hasn't been completed, Handy said.

The coalition is currently meeting with women in the community who are in need of transitional housing, to determine what the building should look like, including what kind of units there should be.

"We really want to build this to suit our needs for the community," she said.

The intention is to build at least 30 self-contained units, but that depends on the coalition's budget, Handy said.

"We are certainly in the very preliminary stages, so we don't have a great deal of money in the bank as of yet, but we're working on a marketing plan and intend on doing a fundraising launch soon."

Last month the homelessness coalition took another important step in making the transitional home a reality - choosing the Yellowknife YWCA as the owner and operator of the facility.

The women's transitional home will be the second big initiative taken on by the coalition.

The Bailey House, a 32-unit transitional home for men, was opened in 2007 and has been a great success, said Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

"Now we hope to have the same success for the women," he said.

The city is the legal entity for the coalition.

Van Tighem said although the city doesn't have authorities or responsibilities in regard to social issues, issues do exist in Yellowknife, so the city needs to be involved.

"We work in support of something the community says they need and does need and try to assist in every way possible to make sure it becomes something."

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