Housing Summit creates opportunity for new collaborations

Oct 05, 2022

the Government of Yukon met with housing sector representatives, stakeholders, and advocates to address the Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) report on housing and identify ways to end homelessness in the Yukon. The summit raised awareness on the ongoing challenges of homelessness and core housing, new and innovative housing developments, and opportunities to strengthen partnerships across the sector.

One hundred participants attended, including representatives from nonprofit organizations, Yukon First Nations governments, the private sector, community groups, municipalities, the federal government and the Yukon government. The event provided a platform to form new relationships and share insights on how funders, researchers, builders, service providers and others can work more closely together to support those with acute housing needs. Participants also provided input on how the Government of Yukon should tackle the OAG’s key findings.
Key opportunities include:

• New ways of evaluating and measuring the success of government programs related to housing.
• More efficient use of resources to support those with the greatest housing needs.
• A potential consortium approach between Yukon Housing Corporation and First Nations governments to utilize stacking funding options to add housing with services projects in communities.

The input will inform the Yukon Housing Corporation and Health and Social Services draft action plan to address the OAG’s report. The draft action plan is to be finalized in November.

I am coming out of yesterday’s Housing Summit energized and hopeful that some of the conversations that took place will materialize into tangible actions to better support homeless and precariously housed Yukoners. I was reminded that ending homelessness is possible if we all put our efforts together.

Minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation Ranj Pillai

Working together with First Nations, stakeholders and partners ensures we have a coordinated approach in planning our way forward to address homelessness in the Yukon. I’m excited to continue to work towards the key opportunities addressed at the Summit in order to support Yukoners and their housing needs.

Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee

Quick facts

• Yukon – Together for Housing, Housing Summit 2022 was the second housing summit hosted by the current Government of Yukon.
• Presentations were provided by Dr. Carolyn Whitzman from the Housing Assessment Resource Tool (HART project), Cary Duboff from the Government of Manitoba, as well as representatives from Opportunities Yukon, Trondëk Hwëch’in, Whitehorse Housing First, and the Government of Yukon.
• Participants were asked to provide their input on recommendations provided by the Office of the Auditor General (in their report, Yukon Housing. The report followed a performance audit on the state of Housing for Vulnerable Yukoners.
• Key insights from the event will be incorporated into the Yukon Housing Corporation and Health and Social Services’s joint action plan to address the OAG’s findings.

Contact

Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca

Julie Ménard
Communications, Yukon Housing Corporation
867-332-7302
julie.menard@yukon.ca

NT5