Iqaluit’s homeless face loss of shelter

MICHAELA RODRIGUE
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Iqaluit’s homeless shelter is facing a cash crunch that could force it to close its doors today.

As of Nunatsiaq News’ press-time this week, the Oqota Emergency Shelter had run out of money to pay its staff past Thursday, June 3, said board member Bill Riddell.

Members of the board that looks after the shelter were to have scheduled a meeting on the evening of June 9, after Nunatsiaq News’ press-time this week, to discuss their financial crisis.

At that meeting, Illitiit board members and shelter staff were expected to vote on a recommendation to remain open through the weekend with volunteers if necessary, said Markus Wilcke, vice-chair of the society.

Homeless shelter workers are now working with bureaucrats from Nunavut’s Department of Health and Social Services to keep the shelter open past this week. They say the shelter needs about $60,000 to give it breathing room until a final funding solution can be found.

Meeting with bureaucrats

Wilcke told Nunatsiaq News he expects the government will find money for the shelter by Friday, June 4, or early the following week.

“What we may have to do is staff the centre with volunteers over the weekend if it takes a couple of extra days,” Wilcke said.

Shelter workers had planned to demonstrate in the streets this week, but Wilcke said he wants to hold off in light of the government’s actions.

“I really think that going into a bitter battle with the government is not the way to go,” Wilcke said.

Wilcke said society members would meet Monday, June 7 to discuss its options if a solution doesn’t appear by today.

The cash crunch is the latest development for the shelter, which has been operating “by the skin of its teeth,” Riddell said.

The shelter operates about 15 beds for men and another two or three for women. It uses about $120,000 a year in funding from different groups such as Iqaluit’s social services department and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

But, according to Riddell, the shelter costs $211,000 per year to operate. The shelter’s board has asked the Nunavut government to step in and provide a “good three solid months” of funding until a permanent arrangement can be made with the territorial government, Riddell said.

The shelter’s board wants the Nunavut government to pay 80 per cent of its budget eventually. The shelter’s board is willing to raise the other 20 per cent.

“We want to raise 20 per cent ourselves. We feel the 20 per cent is an ambitious amount. We feel it’s important that the public does participate,” Wilcke said. Once a funding arrangement is finalized, Wilcke said he hopes it’s one government department that provides the funding.

Picco working on solution

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo asked Health Minister Ed Picco in the legislature this to make a long-term commitment to ensure the shelter stay open.

“I will do whatever I can as minister to ensure those people are not put in jeopardy,” Picco responded.

“Negotiations are underway right now with the shelter society. We’ll be in contact with other departments and non-governmental organizations to look at how we can facilitate keeping the shelter open,” he said.

At press-time this week, Wilcke told Nunatsiaq News that Rosemary Cooper, the Health department’s assistant deputy minister, planned to meet with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) in an effort to raise money.

The homeless shelter is run by the Illitiit Society. It opened a new facility last December after the NWT Housing Corporation donated a new building.

The homeless shelter has been in a state of “constant crisis since March,” Riddell said. It was about to close in April until the Baffin Health Board, through Iqaluit’s social services department, stepped in with three months of up front funding .

But that money only lasted a few weeks, Riddell said. And the health board isn’t expected to make another payment until July.

Health Board chair Dennis Patterson said the health board is carrying a deficit and has no extra money in its coffers for the shelter. He said the homeless shelter might not be facing this funding problem if it hadn’t increased its services.

The shelter only increased its hours of operation, Riddell said. The extra hours mean that there is one extra shift.

Safety for women

The shelter has also added a guarantee that a female employee will always be on staff when women stay at the shelter.

Riddell said the shelter only made those additions to provide better service.

The health board, through Iqaluit social services, currently gives the shelter $66,000 a year.

The Illitiit Society is now calling on the Nunavut government to develop a long-term policy on poverty, and a funding arrangement for organizations like the shelter.

Society members are also forming a special committee to run the shelter and are asking members of the public to join.

The homeless shelter hires three full-time and one complementary employees.