The GNWT announced they are planning to build a transitional housing facility in the city of Yellowknife that will house 25 people. There is no word yet on a date for when the facility will open.
Minister Lucy Kuptana, the Minister Responsible for Housing NWT, emphasized the need for creating safe and supportive housing.
“Having access to safe, stable and supportive housing is essential to helping people move forward in their lives. This temporary facility will provide not only shelter, but a pathway toward healing, independence, and a future beyond homelessness. Through this work, we are offering support for healing and creating space for people to feel safe, regain stability, and begin rebuilding with dignity and hope,” said Minister Kuptana in the announcement.
The facility will be built on Highway 3 across from the Yellowknife Airport, next to the Folk on the Rocks festival.
The project is meant as a temporary solution as the GNWT seeks more permanent transitional housing opportunities in the city.
GNWT staff said they just entered a three-year lease of the site and aim to secure permanent transitional housing options before the lease term ends.
The facility will be made of modular units assembled on-site to create 25 individual bedrooms, alongside shared spaces including a kitchen, dining area, recreation space, laundry facilities, and office space.
Security measures, including secure entry points, fencing, and surveillance cameras will be installed as a safety measure.
The transitional housing space will offer a “supportive and structured environment designed to bridge the gap between homelessness and longer-term housing,” said Housing N.W.T. in their announcement May 6. It will include wraparound supports to help residents “stabilize, set goals, and prepare” for independent living.
Housing N.W.T emphasized that transitional housing provides a “stable environment” where people can take “meaningful steps” towards stable housing and a better life.
“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,” said Housing N.W.T staff.
With this initiative, Housing N.W.T is tackling the often unseen, compounded challenges and barriers experienced by people facing homelessness.
“By helping residents address challenges that contributed to homelessness, transitional housing plays a key role in reducing chronic homelessness and supporting successful reintegration into the community,” they said.
An interagency committee will be formed to help guide the coordinated services, streamline process and assist in developing policies and procedures for the programs and services.
Housing N.W.T said GNWT will issue two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in 2025: one will be announced this month, which would be a proposal for the provision and setup of the modular structure. The second RFP will be announced in July for a program operator to deliver day-to-day programming and supports.
Housing N.W.T said there will be minimal if any impact on nearby recreational activities and community events due to the construction of the transitional housing in the area.
“GNWT staff will work closely with partners, including the Folk on the Rocks festival and Yellowknife Pride, to ensure continued access to recreational spaces wherever possible, and to address concerns through collaboration and planning.”
Jeanne Gard, who is the communications manager at Housing NWT, told True North FM that transitional housing is “housing with case management services” and its aim is to get people out of the shelter system.
“Transitional housing is housing, usually with case management services, that is designed to help people exit the shelter system, address issues that impacted their housing in the past, and build or relearn life skills that will improve their success when housed in the future,”
Because shelters often operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and may close for part of the day, the people using shelters often carry all of their belongings with them wherever they go. Transitional housing offers them a place to settle into.
Emergency shelters are meant for short term, temporary use and on their own, shelters don’t tackle the issue of homelessness.
“(W)ithout access to a spectrum of housing options, many people become chronically homeless, defined as living in shelters for six months or longer. This is because it is difficult to move from shelters directly to independent housing, due to shortages in housing availability, lack of employment, health or mental health issues, and other barriers that are nearly impossible to address in an emergency shelter environment. Creating more shelter spaces only serves to increase the number of people who may become chronically homeless,” explained Gard.
Transitional housing offers a space where people have access to some privacy and where they can access “their own dedicated space” at any time.
“This reduces the time that people need to spend on basic needs like finding food and shelter,” said Gard.
“There is also often dedicated case management, in which staff assist residents to set and work toward goals like building life skills, finding employment, and securing permanent housing,” she explained.
Gard said that with this transitional housing initiative, Housing N.W.T. plans to have at minimum these supports:
- support for moving in and becoming oriented to the facility;
- assistance with setting goals;
- case management support to assist with coordinating needed services, such as income assistance, taxes, housing applications, and employment applications; and
- support with life skills that will increase their success in independent housing, such as cleaning, laundry, basic home maintenance, budgeting, and time management.
