The NWT government is creating a new temporary transitional housing initiative that will serve 25 people from a location near Yellowknife Airport.
In a Tuesday press release, the GNWT said it had signed a three-year lease for a site next to the highway across from the airport, adjacent to a parking lot used for the Folks on the Rocks music festival.
The program will offer “supportive and structured environment designed to bridge the gap between homelessness and longer-term housing,” the GNWT stated.
“Unlike emergency shelters, which are intended for short-term stays, transitional housing offers residents private space, case management, and life skills programming that supports their transition to independent living.”
The new facility will be use modular units assembled on site that include individual bedrooms and a shared kitchen, dining area, laundry facilities and office space.
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The GNWT said it would work with partners such as Folk on the Rocks and Yellowknife Pride to ensure those organizations have continued access to nearby recreational spaces “wherever possible.”
Two requests for proposals will be issued in the coming months, the GNWT said – one for the setup of the buildings and another for a group to handle program and support delivery.
The GNWT said the site offers prospective residents “peace and quiet while reducing exposure to substance use triggers and negative influences.”
In November last year, the GNWT launched an on-the-land camp initiative that provided temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness during some of the coldest months of the year.
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The camp was located about 50 kilometres from Yellowknife and its remoteness was partly blamed for the high cost of program delivery.
That program was funded through a $635,000 contribution from the federal government and $7,000 from the GNWT.
It closed in January after the program’s 10-week operational period came to an end.
