The Government of Yukon has released its latest progress update on efforts to address the recommendations from the 2022 Auditor General’s report on housing needs for the Yukon’s most vulnerable residents.
Since December 2022, the Government of Yukon has worked with partners to advance the actions outlined in the work plan. This plan focuses on creating sustainable, community-focused housing solutions guided by data and strengthened through partnerships.
Key advancements in 2024 include:
- implementing standardized housing needs assessments;
- improving coordination of housing access;
- enhancing data sharing; and
- aligning funding resources with community priorities.
As of December 2024, the work plan includes 33 actions, 16 have been completed and 17 are underway. These actions are part of the Government of Yukon’s long-term strategy to drive meaningful change and align with broader strategies, such as the recommendations and the strategic plan. The Government of Yukon is committed to providing Yukoners with stable, affordable, quality housing and helping ensure the right supports are in place so all Yukoners can have a safe and accessible place to call home.
Housing remains a priority for our government and we are making meaningful progress on the recommendations from the 2022 Auditor General’s report. By working with partners and focusing on long-term solutions, we are advancing initiatives to provide Yukoners with stable, affordable housing and the supports needed to help them thrive. These efforts align with the Putting People First report and the Creating Home strategy, reflecting our commitment to building inclusive communities and creating opportunities for all Yukoners.
Safe, stable and supportive housing is a cornerstone of health and wellbeing. By working with our partners and addressing the Auditor General’s recommendations, we are continuing to build a coordinated and data-driven approach to meet housing needs across the territory. This work is critical to creating healthier, stronger communities and improving outcomes for Yukoners.
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The Auditor General’s report followed a performance audit on the state of housing for vulnerable Yukoners. The audit focused on emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing and social housing available in the territory between April 1, 2015, and November 30, 2021.
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The following actions have been updated in 2024:
Progress on joint work plan initiatives include:
- Action 87.3: Coordinate access to supportive housing. In partnership with the Safe at Home Society, Yukon Housing Corporation and the Department of Health and Social Services have repurposed 408 Alexander Street to provide safe, coordinated and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.
- Action 87.4: Develop a standard approach to assessing housing needs. Yukon Housing Corporation and the Department of Health and Social Services will use this approach to evaluate housing needs in all Yukon communities on a five-year cycle.
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Progress on Yukon Housing Corporation work plan initiatives include:
- Action 40.6: Collaboration with federal partners, aligning new funding with community priorities to address ongoing and emerging needs. This effort secured over $2 million a year of joint federal and territorial funding until 2028 to provide safe housing for survivors of gender-based violence.
- Action 40.6: Collaboration with federal partners, aligning new funding with community priorities to address ongoing and emerging needs. This effort secured over $2 million a year of joint federal and territorial funding until 2028 to provide safe housing for survivors of gender-based violence.
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Progress on the Department of Health and Social Services work plan initiatives include:
- Action 62: Regular and comprehensive needs analysis, including a review of the use of hotels as temporary accommodation, to support decision-making on housing with services and social supports. This work includes comprehensive analysis, integration of real-time data and the development of forecasting tools to better address housing needs and challenges.
- Action 64: Ensure all agreements with third-party providers are comprehensive and monitored for key deliverables. The Department of Health and Social Services has enhanced its agreement management processes. Agreements are now comprehensive, regularly monitored and integrated into standard business operations to ensure accountability.
- Action 91: Establish appropriate performance indicators and conducting regular evaluations to assess and report on program outcomes. The Department of Health and Social Services is developing performance indicators, evaluation frameworks and monitoring plans. These efforts aim to improve accountability and ensure programs meet their intended goals.
Since the launch of the 36-action work plan in December 2022 the following actions have been updated.
- Removed Action 31.3 because five-year evaluations of the social housing program are no longer required by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
- Combined actions 90.1 and 90.2 to create a new action to focus on measuring and evaluating program performance, including social housing.
- Combined Actions 40.1 and 40.5 to clarify how data integration, community needs assessments and financial and capital considerations will be utilized. These actions are also reflected in the Creating Home strategy through enhancing operational performance, comprehensive management of Yukon Housing Corporation’s housing portfolio and collectively addressing housing challenges.
- Revised action 87.4 to enhance clarity and better align with ongoing work required to address the findings from the Auditor General’s 2022 report on Yukon housing.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Kim Sheridan
Communications, Yukon Housing Corporation
867-667-8818
[email protected]
Thibaut Rondel
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-7058
[email protected]