N.W.T. government won't pay for services at Yellowknife homeless encampment

The N.W.T.'s housing minister says the territory won't pay for washrooms, water and fire retardant tents at a homeless encampment in Yellowknife, and is encouraging those living there to use the city's day shelter instead. 

The encampment, located near the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, has been home to 15 to 20 people for about a month. On June 9, Yellowknife city council committed to providing services like solid waste, sewage collection, porta-potties, potable water and other necessities — but only if the territorial government paid for it.

Housing Minister Lucy Kuptana said based on the government's experience with the Yellowknife encampment at Aspen Apartments last summer, it decided not to support the request for services.

"We found that it was difficult sometimes, or most times, in terms of the cleanup, in terms of the emergency response, municipal enforcement issues and also around liability," she said.

"If we continue to support an encampment and something happens within that encampment, is the government liable?" 

Instead, Kuptana said, those living at the encampment should go to the Yellowknife day shelter on 49 Street, where there are washrooms, waste disposal facilities and staff on site who can provide support. 

Kuptana said she also encourages homeless people to camp in a way that's dispersed throughout the city, rather than together at an encampment. 

"It's easier to manage for the people camping," she said. "Once you get into group camping, it's much more difficult. There's much more waste, noise."

She said the territory will continue to communicate with the encampment's lawyer and with partners like the Salvation Army and the City of Yellowknife if the encampment continues to grow. In the longer term, she said, the territory is planning to open its new transitional housing site in Yellowknife, the one near the Folk on the Rocks site, in September. 

That facility will have 25 beds. She said it's part of a larger strategy to accommodate the needs of more N.W.T. residents.