Whitehorse Housing First project set to open after months of delays

The first wave of tenants will start moving in to a Housing First building in downtown Whitehorse next week, nearly two months after it was supposed to open.

Housing First means there are no pre-conditions for sobriety or treatment in order to access or maintain housing, although the clients are typically required to accept regular visits from on-site staff.  

Pat Living, a spokesperson for the Yukon Department of Health and Social Services, said there have been delays installing the building's internet, intercom and security systems. Two vans from a security company were visible at the site Thursday.

Living said that work should be complete this week, with the first tenants moving in as soon as next week. There were also delays hiring staff for the building, she said.

"You want to have a very thoughtful planned move-in process so you might do one or two a week," she said. "So we knew that it was going to take us a bit of time to get people into the building. We didn't know it's going to take us this [much] time." 

First tenants chosen for 16-unit building

Living said a selection committee chose the first tenants for the 16-unit building. Some of the new residents will come from the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter, while others are living in long-term housing at local hotels, and still others are coming "from other precarious housing situations," Living said.

Is this a case of the minister not knowing what she's talking about or what's going on?- Stacey Hassard, Yukon Party leader

Living also said the residents weren't told they'd been picked until after officials were sure the building was nearly ready to open.

It isn't clear when officials became aware the move-in date would be delayed. The government held tours and a media event last November, and at the time said residents would start moving in in a matter of weeks.

Internal emails obtained through an access to information request show staff were aware of issues about completion the week before the media event took place. The specific concerns are redacted because they're advice to the minister, an exception permitted under current rules.

A six-page analysis of the project dated Oct. 23, 2019 is completely blacked out.

Yukon Party leader Stacey Hassard said Pauline Frost, the health minister, has mismanaged the project. The Yukon Party says the project's cost has ballooned from $2.7 million to $4.3 million.

"The minister said in November that building was complete, the project was complete," Hassard said. "Well obviously it wasn't. So is this a case of the minister not knowing what she's talking about or what's going on?"

Frost was not made available for an interview. A written statement attributed to Frost expressed disappointment at the delays, but said "it is more important that it is done right than that we get it done quickly."