The Reaching Home program has awarded a total of $4,700,487 for 15 new initiatives across the Yukon for the fiscal years 2022-2024. The federally funded, community-based program to eliminate chronic and Indigenous homelessness, as well as prevent returns to homelessness, has financed numerous initiatives in the Yukon since the summer of 2020.
Projects were selected for funding following a competitive call for proposals in December 2021, based on recommendations from the Community Advisory Board which is made up of organizations and government that serve people who are homeless across the territory. Reaching Home funding is administered by the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition.
“Canadians who experience homelessness face more uncertainty and instability than many others across the country,” said Dr. Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion. “Through the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home investment for 15 initiatives across the Yukon, we are ensuring that our territory’s most vulnerable individuals have access to a roof over their heads and that no one is left behind.”
The projects receiving funds address issues like housing placement, housing set-ups, emergency housing, prevention and shelter diversion, client support services (e.g. employment and education assistance, job-training assistance and clinical and treatment services), capital investments (e.g. renovations and repairs to existing facilities, developing new facilities, and operational equipment and supplies), and the coordination of resources and data collection.
There are also some active projects from the previous years. The total allocation of Reaching Home funds for the territory in the 5-year agreement with the Government of Canada is $9,482,687.
See attached addendum for a list of the new projects.