The governments of Canada and the Yukon sign an agreement to address unsheltered homelessness

WHITEHORSE, YT, Feb. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the governments of Canada and the Yukon announced that an agreement to support people living without homes has been signed as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI). 

Funding from the Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) will support a new 17-unit supportive housing program and contribute to the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan. The program is operated in partnership by the Safe at Home Society and the Government of Yukon to support people experiencing homelessness.

Under this agreement, the Government of Canada will contribute $1 million over two years to provide stable, supportive housing and advance the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan. This is on top of what the federal government is investing through Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy, over $28 million through the Territorial Homelessness funding stream from 2019-20 through 2027-28 for communities in the Yukon.

The Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan, which includes the new supportive housing program at 408 Alexander Street, enhances security and safety for downtown neighbourhoods while providing support, guest management services, and stable housing for vulnerable Yukoners experiencing homelessness. Over the next year, the plan will focus on partnering with local organizations to expand services, further improving safety in the downtown core, making food services available, and working with the City of Whitehorse to develop a community safety and well-being plan. This will be jointly undertaken by the Aboriginal Community Safety Planning (ACSP) initiative and the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities (CCFSC). In the longer term, emergency housing policies will be reviewed to ensure that diverse needs are met, community housing units will be constructed, and more affordable housing will be created in collaboration with the private sector.

Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Everyone has a right to safe housing, regardless of their circumstances. Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to live.

More agreements with provinces and territories are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Quotes  

"We remain committed to working collaboratively and investing strategically to combat homelessness across the country. The partnership between the federal and territorial governments marks meaningful progress in the work to address homelessness in the Yukon. These agreements are a key step forward, but we are determined to continue accelerating the development of affordable and supportive housing, so that every Canadian can have a safe, secure place to call home."

Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for the Yukon

"Safe, stable housing is critical to building strong communities and supporting our most vulnerable Yukoners. This initiative is an important step toward a more supportive, inclusive, and vibrant downtown. Intergovernmental coordination and collaboration are essential in addressing housing and homelessness challenges, and we thank the Government of Canada and our partners for their commitment to supporting vulnerable Yukoners."

Premier and Minister responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation, Ranj Pillai

"Ensuring that vulnerable Yukoners have access to safe, stable housing with the supports they need is a critical step in addressing homelessness in our communities. This investment will help provide wraparound services that promote wellbeing, dignity, and long-term stability for tenants. I want to thank Safe at Home Society for their leadership in delivering this program and the Government of Canada for their continued investment in housing solutions for the North. Addressing homelessness requires strong partnerships, and through this collaboration, we are creating better outcomes for Yukoners in need."

Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister of Justice, Tracy-Anne McPhee

Quick facts 

• The Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) will help reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, particularly those living in encampments. It is based on the deployment of a Community Encampment Response Plan (CERP) in each targeted community, adopting an approach that promotes housing stability with support services to ensure the dignity of individuals.
• Federal funding provided for this agreement is part of a $250 million commitment, outlined in Budget 2024, to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness across Canada.
• The $250 million investment from the federal government is a tool to coordinate matching funds from provincial and territorial governments to address encampments throughout the country.
• The UHEI builds on existing programs like Reaching Home, through which the federal government is investing $5 billion over nine years to address homelessness across Canada.
• Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy supports the goals of Canada's Housing Plan and the National Housing Strategy – to support the needs of the most vulnerable Canadians and to improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing.
• Since 2015, the federal government has helped almost two million Canadians find a place to call home.
• Opening 408 Alexander Street as safe, supportive housing advances key commitments under Yukon Housing Corporation's five-year strategic plan, Creating Home, and the Yukon government's Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan. This initiative increases access to supportive housing, helping reduce homelessness while enhancing community safety by ensuring vulnerable Yukoners have access to appropriate support services.
• Yukon Housing Corporation owns 408 Alexander Street which was renovated last fall, and leases it to the Safe at Home Society, with operations and maintenance funding provided by the Department of Health and Social Services. This partnership strengthens interdepartmental collaboration and advances recommendations identified in the 2022 Office of the Auditor General's housing report.

Associated links 

Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy
Canada's National Housing Strategy
Canada's Housing Plan
Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan
Government of Yukon in partnership with Safe at Home Society will open a new supportive housing program at 408 Alexander Street

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

For more information (media only), please contact: Sofia Ouslis, Press Secretary, [email protected], Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]