WHITEHORSE, Oct. 6, 2017 /CNW/ - The Salvation Army Centre of Hope celebrated its official opening today. Located at the corner of 4th Avenue and Alexander Street in Whitehorse, the new centre will have 25 emergency shelter beds and 20 transitional housing apartments. The centre will also offer community meals and drop-in programs.
Many programs and services will be phased in gradually. The emergency shelter and community meals service are planned to begin operation by the end of October, while the transitional housing apartments and drop-in program are planned to open in early 2018.
The Honourable Larry Bagnell, Member of Parliament for Yukon, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with the Honourable Sandy Silver, Premier of Yukon, Pauline Frost, Minister Responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation and Health and Social Services and Colonel Lee Graves, The Salvation Army's Chief Secretary, participated in the official opening.
Quotes:
"Our Government is investing in affordable housing in Yukon and throughout Canada, to help create jobs and improve the quality of life for those individuals and families who need it most. The funding offered to the Salvation Army Centre of Hope will help people in need in Whitehorse find a safe place to live." – Larry Bagnell, Member of Parliament for Yukon
"We are pleased to see the official opening of The Centre of Hope. This project is the culmination of hard work and dedication from a number of departments and agencies. This facility will provide programs and services to our community's most vulnerable citizens. In particular, I am pleased to see new collaboration that will improve programming." – Pauline Frost, Minister of Health and Social Services & Yukon Housing Corporation
"This Centre will truly be a place that restores hope for those in need. Not only do we have more emergency shelter beds, but we have transitional rooms to assist those who have experienced homelessness or housing-instability transition into permanent housing and provide them with structure and support during a time of stabilization." – Ian McKenzie, Executive Director of the Salvation Army Centre of Hope, Alberta and Northern Territories Division
Quick facts:
- The Salvation Army is the largest non-government direct provider of social services in Canada.
- The shelter will be open 7 days a week. During the day citizens can access community meals and drop-in programs.
- The governments of Canada and Yukon provided $1.1 million under the Investment in Affordable Housing and $3 million under the Northern Housing Trust.
- The Government of Yukon also invested $10.2 million for the lot purchase, design development and construction of the Centre.
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- As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry.
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SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
For further information: Media contacts: Émilie Gauduchon, Press Secretary, Office of Minister Duclos, 819-654-5546, Emilie.Gauduchon@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca; Public Affairs, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 514-283-3679, mlaplant@cmhc-schl.gc.ca; Sunny Patch, Cabinet Communications, 867-332-0362, sunny.patch@gov.yk.ca; Pat Living, Communications, Health and Social Services, 867-667-3673, patricia.living@gov.yk.ca; Ian McKenzie, Executive Director, The Salvation Army Centre of Hope, 867-393-8329, ian_mckenzie@can.salvationarmy.org
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