Turn Up the Heat on Homelessness |
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Turn Up the Heat on Homelessness and give northern families a new start (click here for more info)
April 8: YWCA Yellowknife has launched its second Turn Up the Heat on Homelessness campaign by unveiling energy and money-saving improvements at the Rockhill apartments. Rockhill is home to about 30 families who live in YWCA Yellowknife’s emergency and transitional housing program. This year, the public appeal for support will take place in September, just as the weather turns cold.
These renovations have been made possible with the generous financial support of the territorial government’s Energy Conservation Program and De Beers Canada. Staff at the Arctic Energy Alliance provided advice and a Yardstick Energy Audit to get the ball rolling.
Low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, aerators on taps, and compact fluorescent light bulbs have been installed in each of the 30 suites, along with programmable thermostats on the main floor. There are new front-loading washing machines in the common laundry area, along with occupancy-sensing lights, LED exit lights and IPCL (Intelligent Parking Lot Controller) plug ins. In most cases, these energy-saving improvements will pay for themselves in two years, allowing YWCA Yellowknife to being saving on the $149,792 it spent on utilities at Rockhill last year – and diverting the saving into programming and services for families trying to get back on their feet.
BHP Billiton/YWCA Turn Up the Heat on Homelessness is an opportunity for the community to show its support for homeless families. Your donation toward the cost of heating our Rockhill apartments will help families get on their feet again. Donate online! $10 buys heat for an hour; $250 provides heat for a day; $1700 buys heat for a week and $7000 for a month. And of course, you can choose any amount between. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more.
YWCA Yellowknife has been providing transitional and emergency housing for families at Rockhill for more than a decade. Our 39-suite building provides transitional housing for up to 12 months. Clients pay rent of $1150 per month for a one-bedroom suite and $1350 per month for two-bedrooms. We have five suites available for emergency housing for families who would otherwise be homeless. These suites are offered free of charge for up to three months.
It is our support staff who make transitional and emergency housing unique. They help tenants every step of the way as they move from dependence to building the capacity to become independent. They help people work on the issues that have destabilized their housing in the past such as addictions and family violence. They teach life skills, literacy, cooking and parenting. Staff helps tenants develop good tenancy records. Support workers make a difference, every day. In 2009-10, YWCA's transitional housing accommodated 72 families yet we continue to feel the pressure of a waiting list of 25 families.
The two programs together provide tenants with over 10,000 hours of staffing support each year. But neither is adequately funded. Rent provides a little more than half of the operating expenses. The remainder comes from the territorial government and donations. We do not want to increase rent to cover the shortfall because our apartments would become unaffordable. What we need is your investment to make this valuable program even stronger. Your support will show the community you want to take action on poverty and homelessness in order to improve life for northern families.