City of Whitehorse gets $5M to transform hotel into supportive housing

The Yukon's Rapid Housing Initiative received a $5 million funding boostTuesday.

The funding was announced by Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, along with Ranj Pillai, Yukonminister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation,Yukon MPBrendan Hanley,and WHitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott.

A news release issued Tuesday said thenew funds are inaddition to theprevious$12.86 million from the federal government through the first phase.

The new funds stemfrom the unanimous Whitehorse city council vote in Augustin favour of a proposal totake over the High Country Inn and create 55 permanent supportive housing units in that building.

The vote meant the city, which is working with the Safe at Home Society, would apply for $5 million in funding under the cities stream of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)'s Rapid Housing Initiative, whichis designed toincrease stable housing stock across the country.

"This is a perfect example of a very good project, a good initiative, and it's a really good example of not one government, not one agency that is going to solve the problems of affordable housing," Cabott said during Monday night's council meeting.

The release said at least 25 per cent of the new funding will go toward women-focused housing projects and that units willbe built within 12 months of when funding is provided to program applicants.

Counc. Dan Boyd said during Monday's council meeting that the"city desperately needs the supportive housing."

"It's always difficult and hard todevelop and put that in place. Soit's great that citywill get another up to 55 units of supportive housing."

In the 2021 federal budget, $1.5 billion was allocated for the Rapid Housing Initiative second round of funding for 2021-22, with $500 million in funding under the Cities Stream.

Round 1 of the Rapid Housing Initiative was$1 billionfunding program that launched in October 2020 to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians, the release says, "especially in the context of COVID-19, through the rapid construction of affordable housing."

The program is delivered by the CMHCunder the National Housing Strategy.

"Like many jurisdictions across Canada, the Yukon is experiencing a high demand for housing,"Pillai said in a statement. "It is important that our governments have a united approach that aims to support innovative partnerships and solutions that grow housing stock and address the affordability gap."