In response to a growing homelessness challenge, the GNWT announced on Monday that it has opened up a homeless camp outside city limits along the Ingraham Trail.
The camp can accommodate around 25 people, but as of Tuesday, Robert Tordiff, assistant deputy minister for the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, said that the number of applications to stay at the camp was already at 37. Tordiff added the GNWT has a careful screening process, given the risks of being so far away from the city.
"We're being very careful in terms of screening applicants to ensure that the people that are out there can be successful in that environment," he said.
Tordiff said there's several people now at the site. The next group headed there will make the trip Wednesday or Thursday.
The camp features insulated dorm-style cabins heated by wood stoves, according to the territorial government. It also has heated outhouses and showers and a kitchen cabin for meals and community activities. There will also be 24/7 emergency medical services at the camp.
At the moment, the exact location of the camp is undisclosed.
"The message was we want to try and maintain some privacy for the people that are out there," said Tordiff.
Why not keep it within the downtown core of the city? Tordiff said it was very difficult to find a property within city limits that's zoned for this type of purpose.
"Going through the zoning bylaws and the development bylaws in the city is a time-consuming exercise," said Tordiff. "And with winter approaching, we had to find something where we could provide warm shelter before the winter weather arrives."
The GNWT calls its new program an "On-the-Land Camp initiative." Tordiff added that the camp is operated by a non-governmental organization: NWT Integrated Community Services (ICS). The estimated cost for this operation is $642,000. Almost all of that that money comes from federal funds, except for $7,000, which the GNWT footed, he noted.
Attending the camp, physically, comes with the help of transport, which will be managed by ICS. There's a couple of steps to take before making it there though.
An adult homeless individual would need to apply. They can do that on their own or with a service provider. Various shelters in the city have the applications, according to the GNWT. Applications are also available at the Integrated Service Delivery office at 4510 50 Avenue.
The camp is also meant to be a short-term solution. but there's currently no deadline on how long a resident can stay at the camp, Tordiff noted. However, if a person does leave and later wants to come back, they will need to reapply.
Counselling services will be offered twice a week and cultural programming three days a week, for example, but the GNWT stated also that the specifics of these programs may vary depending on interests.
SA国际影视传媒 tried to contact ICS, but there was no response prior to publication deadline.
