Plans are already in motion to put an end to homelessness over the next decade.
The 10 year plan to end homelessness in Yellowknife was released last month.
Mayor Mark Heyck acknowledges that many people who identify as homeless are often those who get stranded from other communities.
“We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” says Yellowknife Mayor Mark Heyck. “We didn’t wait for the plan to be adopted to start working on some of these things. So the street outreach services which we established and the opening of the sobering centre, albeit in a temporary location at the moment at the yk community arena. Of the people identified in a point and time count that we a couple years ago, 11.5% identified from Behchoko which was actually more than the number that identified as being from Yellowknife. Inuvik was another big one. Lutsel K’e as well, Fort Resolution. We’re reaching out to neighbouring communities like Behchoko, like Lutsel K’e, to start that conversation about what can we do here in Yellowknife to support your community and in turn what can you do in your community to support what we’re trying to achieve here in our city.”
Heyck says a home for the Sobering Centre in the fall has been lined up, but discussions are still underway.
The full document laying out the 10 Year Homeless Plan is available here.
