NWT allocates $1.6M for addiction recovery aftercare pilot

The territorial government’s new budget includes funding for a transitional housing pilot project to support residents returning from addiction treatment facilities in the south.

The project, which will offer transitional housing in Yellowknife and Inuvik, is set to launch in the fall.

While non-profits in the territory already offer some forms of transitional housing, health minister Lesa Semmler said the pilot will be the only service of its kind in the Northwest Territories

“Some individuals often do very well in treatment but then begin to struggle when they return to their pre-treatment lives,” NWT health authority spokesperson Andrew Wind told Cabin Radio.

“Transitional housing for addictions would provide individuals with an opportunity to practise their newly learned skills in the real world with the added benefits of supports, structure and resources.”

The program will offer residents in transitional housing access to support for “life skills, education and training, peer support and referrals,” Wind continued.

Past criticism

The Northwest Territories has some of the highest addiction rates in Canada, the country’s auditor general reported in 2022. The auditor general’s office found gaps in data collection on addiction needs and territorial services.

Health officials “did not know whether addictions services were effective,” the report stated. “They did not sufficiently measure clients’ outcomes or use data to analyze trends.”

Findings from the report also detail shortcomings in the territorial government’s delivery of services regarding addiction prevention and recovery.

“Despite many commitments, the Department of Health and Social Services and the health and social services authorities did not do enough to provide residents with accessible, coordinated and culturally safe addictions services,” the report continued.

“We found concerning shortcomings in the provision of addictions services, from ensuring equitable access to services for all residents to ensuring that services are culturally safe for Indigenous clients and that aftercare services are sufficient to support clients’ recovery goals.”

Through the transitional housing pilot project, the territorial government will collect data on addiction recovery needs and services, Semmler said in the legislature last week.

The Yellowknife and Inuvik facilities will have a capacity of around five residents each, Wind said.

People will be expected to stay in that housing for 30 to 90 days, according to Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan, who questioned Semmler about capacity compared to need for a service like this.

“The five to six spaces may not address the full need,” Semmler said. “Right now, we don’t know how many we’re going to need.”

“As this is a service that has not been offered before, it is difficult to know exactly how many people need transitional housing support,” Wind said. “We will monitor the demand for the programs over time.”

The pilot project is a collaborative effort between the territory’s health and infrastructure departments, the territorial housing authority and non-profit organizations, according to the a detailed summary of the budget published prior to it being passed by MLAs.

The budget allocated nearly $1.6 million to run the project over the next two years – $1.4 million to the territory’s health authority and $154,000 to the Department of Infrastructure.

“This funding is for two years,” Semmler said. “We’ll continue to move forward into the 2026-27 business planning cycle … for future funds.”

A first step

In 2023, the NWT government published a homelessness strategy that identified a link between lack of housing stability and drug addiction.

The strategy recommended an increase in mental health and addiction supports as well as transitional housing and supported living services.

“Transitional housing is designed to be a stepping-stone to permanent housing, and should include supportive services, job training and integrated case management,” the strategy set out.

“It helps individuals and families bridge the gap between an unsustainable living situation, such as returning from a correctional facility or addictions treatment, and a stable, long term, more independent living situation.”

While the pilot project’s capacity may not reflect the current need, Semmler noted there are other services available to residents.

“Transitional housing specific for addictions recovery is something that is not currently offered in the NWT,” Wind said.

“This project is a first step in working to address this gap in aftercare services.”