City clarifies homelessness funding
Even more money coming over the next two years
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife will receive $299,574 per year over two years in additional money from the federal government to address homelessness, according to information provided by the city this week as it seeks to clarify earlier media reports.
Coun. Linda Bussey last week said the city would be getting $117,278 in additional funding under the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), a program that provides several pots of funding to local governments to implement programs to reduce homelessness.
At a meeting with reporters Monday, Bussey said the city is actually getting more than previously reported. The added funding comes from a pot of money HPS provides specifically for culturally appropriate support for aboriginal homelessness. It brings the city's total funding from the Homelessness Partnering Strategy to $716,426 per year for the next two years.
The city's Community Advisory Board on Homelessness (CAB), chaired by Bussey, will meet Thursday to decide how to split up the new federal money.
"The money doesn't go all towards Housing First. It goes to three initiatives. We have to decide - the CAB - how we're going to allot those funds," Bussey said.
Yellowknife has three ways it spends HPS funding. It's main priority is Housing First. But HPS funds also have been directed to youth homelessness through SideDoor Youth Ministries. A third avenue for funding has previously been used to contribute money to the Safe Harbour Day Shelter.
Currently, $242,000 from HPS will be spent on Housing First in 2016-17, then increasing to $306,000 over the following two years.
The Thursday meeting is also when the committee will get a recommendations from city staff on the Housing First request for proposals, which closed last week.
Only the Yellowknife Women's Society responded to the RFP to administer Housing First, a program that has proven successful elsewhere in Canada by first placing homeless people in housing and then providing intensive support services.
Bussey has said the aim is to house at least one person through Housing First by the end of August, then expand to up to 20 by 2019.
She added the RFP bid is being reviewed by city staff to ensure it meets the requirements and staff will approve the bid. It does not have to go to city council for approval.
"I'm looking forward to seeing it, for sure," Bussey said about the details of the society's proposal.
