People Sleeping On Soup Kitchen Floor Underlines Need For Comprehensive Housing Strategy
One-off, stop-gap measure no way to address persistent problem
WHITEHORSE - The news that the Whitehorse Salvation Army has added sleeping mats to the floor of its soup kitchen to handle an overflow of people seeking shelter is a stark reminder of the Yukon government’s failure to address homelessness.
Opposition Social Services Critic Jan Stick reiterated the NDP’s longstanding call for a comprehensive housing strategy to replace the current one-off, stop-gap approach to homelessness and other housing issues.
“A few new mats on the floor of a soup kitchen will not solve the territory’s homelessness problem,” said Stick. “We’ve said for many months that temporary emergency housing would be needed for vulnerable Yukoners this winter, and the government response has been to provide 10 mats. Where’s the strategy? Where’s the action plan with measurable targets and timelines?”
Despite repeated calls from the opposition and housing advocates for a territory-wide housing strategy, the Yukon government lacks a comprehensive plan.
When pressed in the past, government ministers have pointed to the Yukon Party’s election platform for answers on housing and homelessness, but as Stick pointed out, a list in a platform does not constitute a plan.
At least one female client of the Salvation Army shelter has expressed concerns about sharing her sleeping space with men, especially if those men are intoxicated.
“We know the Salvation Army is doing the best they can to serve our homeless population, but the responsibility to assist those in need ultimately rests with the Yukon government,” said Stick. “Until the government becomes more proactive in housing the hard to house, vulnerable Yukoners will continue to sleep in uncomfortable situations on soup kitchen floors. We can do better than that.”