Yukon government opens inaugural Housing First facility in Whitehorse

A new facility in downtown Whitehorse, which will housethecity's most chronically homeless, officially opened Tuesday.

The Yukon governmentsays the16-unit facility, on the corner of Wood Street and Fifth Avenue, will followthe Housing First philosophy, which separates housing from service requirements.

It is the first facility of its kind in the territory, according to the government.

Housing First means there are nopre-conditions for sobriety or treatment in order to accessor maintainhousing, although the clients are typically required to accept regular visits from on-site staff.

Christine Tapp, director of the Yukon government's social supports branch, saidaplacement committee willselect the tenants and work with them to choosetheir housing.

"It would ultimately be individuals who might have moderate care or support needs who would really benefit from a model where therearestaff available to assist them with either crisis management or home maintenance," Tapp said.

The facility will be staffed 24/7by front-line staff. Other support staff, including outreach workers and counsellors, will be brought in to work with the clients.

Tapp saidhiring is underway and she expects the first clients tomovein at the end of the month.

The Yukon government says it will run the facility for the first six or nine months before handing operations over to a non-profitor association.

Kate Mechan,implementation manager for the working group Safe at Home, said this project is notthe silver bullet that will end homelessness.

"The need is so much, so much greater, but it's definitely a start," she said.

Housing model works, saysexpert

Wally Czech with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessnesssaidthe Housing First model works when properly implemented.

He saida study of Housing First projects in cities across Canada,called At Home/Chez Soi,showedthat the closer the facility adheres to the principles of Housing First, the higher the success rate 80 to 85 per cent effective in helping people enter housing quickly and maintaining housing long-term.

In addition to removing pre-conditions to housing, Housing First is about giving clients choice and promoting self-sufficiency, said Czech.

"People are given the opportunity just like anybody else if they are choosing to partake of substances, that's sort of a personal, individual choice,"he said.

He said the best model is catered to the needs of the individuals.

"That's one of the great things that makes Housing First so effective is that people are given supports that are driven by their own needs and wants."