New tiny home community opens in Whitehorse

Logo: Government of Canada (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

Logo: Government of Yukon (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)

WHITEHORSE, Jan. 18, 2019 /CNW/ - Four new tiny homes located near downtown Whitehorse have opened, providing urgently needed housing and support services to at-risk individuals allowing them to live independently in the community.

Joining another home which opened in 2012, the community is comprised of five stand-alone 240 ft² units, and allows enough room for one person to live comfortably, helping them to avoid difficult situations with poor boundaries.

This transitional housing is owned and operated by Blood Ties Four Directions Centre, a Whitehorse non-profit that works to eliminate barriers and create equal opportunities for people to access health and wellness services, allowing them to live in the community with dignity.

Funding for the project came from the Government of Yukon's Victim of Violence program, which is funded in part by the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement (Social Infrastructure Fund), and the Community Development Fund.

Quotes:

"Safe, adequate housing for our most vulnerable citizens is one of our commitments to Yukoners. We are proud to support Blood Ties Four Directions to build these four new tiny houses to provide new options for their clients in need of housing." — Minister Responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation Pauline Frost

"Our Government is committed to working with the Government of Yukon to develop and implement local solutions to housing. The innovative, energy efficient design of these homes makes them relatively inexpensive to operate and build—an important consideration for projects in the North. This investment provides people with safe and affordable housing that meets their needs, and supports our partners at Blood Ties to continue their important work for the community." — Larry Bagnell, Member of Parliament for Yukon

"The people who will have a chance to make their home here are among Whitehorse's most vulnerable residents. At Blood Ties, we believe that community building is just as important as housing. With the help and support of our partners, we are thrilled to officially open this tiny home community and we look forward to continuing our work and ensuring that these people receive the supports they need to enter and maintain their own living space." — Patricia Bacon, Executive Director, Blood Ties Four Directions Centre

Quick facts:

• The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, along with the Yukon Housing Corporation jointly contributed $200,000 toward the project.
• The Government of Canada also invested $100,000 through the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.
• The Government of Yukon provided $100,000 through the Community Development Fund.
• The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS)—an ambitious 10-year, $40 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians

Associated links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

To learn more, visit Yukon Housing Corporation and Housing Action Plan for Yukon.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Media contacts: Valérie Glazer, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, 819-654-5546, [email protected]; Janine Workman, Cabinet Communications, 867-393-7449, [email protected]; Sarah Murray, Communications, Yukon Housing Corporation, 867-334-8712, [email protected]; Gabriel Teo, Public Affairs, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 604-737-4137, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca