MLA Wants to Know How GNWT will Tackle Homelessness

6:00 P.M. - CJCD Radio

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Territory's housing situation was on the minds of several MLAs this week and Wendy Bisaro focused on the homelessness situation. She asked Minister Michael Miltenberger if the GNWT would consider appointing a homelessness secretariat to coordinate the many groups that handle services and programs in the city. Miltenberger explained what the Department of Health is doing. Transcript available...

MLA Wants to Know How GNWT will Tackle Homelessness
CJCD Radio, Thursday, August 18, 2011, 5:00 p.m./
Friday, August 19, 2011, 5:30 a.m.

KATHERINE BARTON, CJCD: A Yellowknife MLA wants to know how the government plans to tackle the ongoing issue of homelessness in the North. Wendy Bisaro wants the GNWT to follow the recommendations of a June homelessness report that urges the government to establish shelter standards and more affordable housing. Another suggestion out of the report was for a homelessness secretariat, which Bisaro says would provide more effective and efficient services in the NWT.

BISARO: The very first recommendation of the report is to establish a homelessness secretariat and I'd like to ask the Minister what plans this government has to coordinate our homeless programs, which are not now coordinated in one place. For instance, coordinate with the Anti-Poverty Strategy, coordinate within government and coordinate with our service providers.

CJCD: The Minister on homelessness, Michael Miltenberger, responded that the GNWT internally monitors and organizes services to the city's homeless. Bisaro thanked the Minister for providing her with information she already knows and asked him whether or not they will appoint a secretariat to deal with homelessness. Miltenberger says there is no plan to move on that recommendation.

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CJCD Radio, Thursday, August 18, 2011, 6:00 p.m./
Friday, August 19, 2011, 8:00 a.m.

KATHERINE BARTON, CJCD: The Territory's housing situation was on the minds of several MLAs in the Legislature this week. Both Tom Beaulieu and Jackie Jacobson discussed the lack of affordable housing in their Member's statements, while Wendy Bisaro focused on the homelessness situation. She asked the Minister of homelessness, Michael Miltenberger, if the GNWT would consider appointing a homelessness secretariat to coordinate the many groups that handle services and programs in the city. Miltenberger explained what the Department of Health and Social Services is doing.

MILTENBERGER: There's homelessness within Yellowknife where you have a lot of agencies and a lot of resources, and then there's the homelessness services outside Yellowknife, which are coordinated and managed by the government in the various departments within governments. There's a homelessness coalition in Yellowknife that we're a part of.

CJCD: That answer didn't fly with Bisaro.

BISARO: I'd like to thank the Minister for giving me a bit of a précis of information I already know and telling me what we already do. I know that and I would like to know what we are going to do to try and coordinate homelessness cause it is not currently coordinated.

CJCD: Miltenberger said appointing a homelessness secretariat is not in the works for the near future, but he did say the department would consider implementing a task force on drugs and alcohol, another recommendation Bisaro tabled.

Publication Date: 
2011
Volume: 
August 18, 2011
Journal Name: 
CJCD Radio
Location: 
Yellowknife, NT, Canada