If you've lived in Yellowknife a while, you've probably been to events and meetings at Northern United Place (NUP). Or maybe you attend the Yellowknife United Church or Aurora College, which both call the building home.

The building is also home to many Yellowknifers who live in its 84 low-income housing units. Their future at the Yellowknife landmark is in question now that the territorial government is pondering what will become of Aurora College, the building's main tenant, should it proceed with a polytechnic university.

The Franklin Avenue and 54 Street building is managed by NWT Community Services Corporation, a non-profit corporation with members rather than shareholders, so money earned through operating NUP is put back into the building.

SA国际影视传媒淚f for some reason we were not able to continue operating what we do, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 potentially 40 to 45 seniors that would be looking for accommodation here in Yellowknife,SA国际影视传媒� said Leonardis. SA国际影视传媒淎vens definitely doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have the space to take them. So where would they go?SA国际影视传媒�

The GNWT has, in practice, always provided Aurora College as the building's anchor tenant but that commitment is not in writing, Leonardis explained.

SA国际影视传媒淎t some point in time we recognize that the government maybe is not going to need the space,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e also recognize that Aurora College with all these changes that are coming SA国际影视传媒� theySA国际影视传媒檝e always stated that they would like a standalone campus and weSA国际影视传媒檙e one hundred per cent in support of that, but it will have an effect on us.SA国际影视传媒�

Yellowknifer reached out to Aurora College on Friday but had not heard back by press time.

The building's 26,748 square foot commercial space occupies the first to third floors and is currently leased to Aurora College. Commercial tenants like the college have enabled NUP to provide subsidized housing for low-income tenants since it opened in 1976, without any regular government funding.

The building has 14 one-bedroom apartments and 70 bachelor units which are leased to people making less than $45,000 a year. Rent begins at $670 a month and adjusts based on each individual tenant's income.

SA国际影视传媒淪o the more they make, the more the rent will go up, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 never more than 30 per cent of their gross income,SA国际影视传媒� said Leonardis. Of those 84 units, 36 are set aside for seniors.

SA国际影视传媒淚f they are on fixed income such as old age security and CPP, the majority of our tenants are paying $370 a month,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淵ou canSA国际影视传媒檛 get that anywhere else in Yellowknife, especially for seniors.SA国际影视传媒�

All of the units at NUP are currently full, with a wait list that ranges from 10 to 25 people depending on the time of year.

Leonardis said this is something the Community Services Corporation is cognizant of moving forward and are planning ahead to make sure they have a commercial tenant.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause without it, our units for low-income individuals are going to be at risk,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hose individuals are going to be seriously at risk.SA国际影视传媒�

The Community Services Corporation's board, which is made up of six members from the Yellowknife United Church and three members of the community, is looking at plans to secure another commercial tenant in the event that the college pulls out of NUP.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at moving forward with this, those are all questions that we have to answer,SA国际影视传媒� said Leonardis. SA国际影视传媒淲ho is out there that might fill that commercial space and provide us with that base revenue so we can continue doing what we do.SA国际影视传媒�

Although the corporation does similar work to the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, NUP has been successfully operating privately for over four decades and would like to continue doing so if possible, Leonardis said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e fill a niche that maybe is not being filled or that housing authorities are not able to fill just because of lack of capacity,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

For example, the young single person just starting out in their career, or people making just slightly above minimum wage who don't qualify for help through the housing authority and can't afford market rent could find a space at NUP, said Leonardis.

SA国际影视传媒淪o weSA国际影视传媒檙e filling a central kind of vacancy thatSA国际影视传媒檚 there in the system in Yellowknife.SA国际影视传媒�

If they were to consider working with the housing the authority in some way, the next step would involve discussions with the government, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e not presuming that theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to automatically just take us over or take us on,SA国际影视传媒� said Leonardis.

The age of the building as well as the upgrades and maintenance required to keep tenants safely housed there also needs to be factored into future planning, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be a challenging couple of years, but I think it will be interesting too.SA国际影视传媒�

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) owns the college's lease at NUP and officials say they don't have any immediate plans to relocate.

"Northern United Place has continued to serve as a venue for educating Northerners for more than 20 years," stated Chris Joseph, project lead for the Aurora College Foundational Review with ECE.

Joseph said it will take several years to transition from a college to a polytechnic university and that planning process is just beginning.

"Developing a polytechnic university will build on existing infrastructure, programming and human resources over an extended period of time and decisions will not be rushed," Joseph stated in an email.