Feds give almost $20M for housing project in Whitehorse

Talar Stockton,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Yukon MP Brendan Hanley announced $19.7 million in federal money for the construction of the Hearth, a housing initiative at the site of the former Coast High Country Inn in downtown Whitehorse.

Standing on the pavement outside the construction of what will become the building, Hanley said the bulk of the money — $11.4 million — comes from the Canada Greener Affordable Homes (CGAH) program. There are also additional funds of $5 million from the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund and $3.3 million from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) through their Northern Responsible Energy Approach to Community Heat and Electricity, and Climate Change Preparedness in the North programs, respectively.

Hanley said the funds from the CGAH will be used to upgrade the building’s windows and doors to reduce energy use, and plumbing fixtures to conserve water, among other retrofits.

CIRNAC’s money will be used to install heat recovery ventilators and solar panels for the building, said Hanley. He said the money will also go towards the design and administration needs of the project.

The territorial government previously announced $12.9 million towards the project in February.

The building will have 67 units, and it will be able to house up to 82 individuals, said Kate Mechan, Safe at Home’s executive director. These units will be for individuals exiting homelessness, according to a pamphlet circulated by Safe at Home at the press conference.

The pamphlet also said the site was initially purchased for $10 million. Those funds came from the City of Whitehorse and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Mechan said. She said the building is now owned by Safe at Home. The project’s total price tag is $42.1 million, which Safe at Home noted was higher than the expected cost of $16 million.

The hike came from unforeseen building code regulations, as well as the increased price of construction after peak COVID-19, as noted by Mechan.

“The structural components of the building really needed to be replaced in order for people to be safe in the future,” Mechan said.

The Hearth should be welcoming occupants by around April 2026, per Mechan.

According to the territorial government’s press release, the occupants will be selected off of Whitehorse’s by-name list, a real-time list of homeless people in the city.

According to Mechan, the list has 154 names on it.

Mechan said that while the number may seem lower than reported in past months, the reduction is not coming from a decrease in homelessness.

“Individuals who are marginalized are passing away at tragically high rates,” she said.

“Housing is harm reduction.”

Talar Stockton,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Yukon News