As night time temperatures begin to fall below minus 30 C, local homeless people and those working to support them are once again beginning to feel the burden of the territory's housing crisis.

Dickson Shorty Jackson lives on the streets in Whitehorse.

"I have no idea where I'm going,” he said in a recent interview.

Jackson said he has been homeless for several years and often stays at the Salvation Army shelter on Second Avenue.

"I have 20 bucks on me right now. I don't want to go back there; it's too rowdy,” he said, motioning to the building.

"I am going to go to the liquor store or some other place. I don't care as long as I can zone out.”

When he is drinking, he often finds himself with nowhere to go.

"I just got out of the drunk tank,” he said. "It's insufficient. I wanted them to take me some place and I couldn't get into the detox because it's full, and I am deadly against forcible confinement.”

The Salvation Army is often the only option for the community's homeless residents, trying to keep warm during winter time.

The shelter doubled its capacity last year and is still nearly full every night.

A 24-hour facility, the Salvation Army opens its doors at 5:30 a.m. with a lounge that is open during the day and a shelter that offers a place to sleep in the evenings.

The shelter doors close at 11 p.m. and then there is no leaving until the next morning.

Bad behaviour can result in removal.

"If people are under the influence, they are allowed in the shelter but we do have strict rules about behaviour. If they are disruptive, they are asked to leave,” said Capt. Shannon Howard of the Salvation Army.

Often, people are just asked to take a walk around the block. But in cases of violence, someone may find themselves suspended from the shelter for up to a week. Multiple infractions could lead to a month-long ban.

Some people who need shelter most choose not to access it.

"Because we don't let them drink in our building, a lot of them can't imagine going through the night without a sip, so their addiction might keep them out,” said Howard. "Mental health issues might also cause them to not seek shelter.”

Sometimes shelters aren't the appropriate solution either.

"The Salvation Army do what they can, and their response is to put out more mats so people have a place to lay down, which is great for many people,” said Kristina Craig, co-ordinator at the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition. "For others, specifically youth, women, women with kids, it's not the best situation.”

Kaushee's Place is the only full-time shelter for women and young children in Whitehorse. The centre provides 24-hour service to women and young children fleeing violence, but housing the homeless is not part of its mandate.

"This community needs to realize that these are real problems, happening to real people,” said Craig.

And the cold is just one threat to people on the streets. A lack of housing availability can have broad-reaching social ramifications.

"We are not reaching enough people,” said Craig. "We don't know who they are or how they are dealing with the situation.

"Maybe they stay in an abusive situation, maybe they sell themselves to stay warm, maybe they are using substances because that is how you cope.”

Housing the city's homeless population was a hot-button issue during the territorial election campaign.

With one of the country's lowest housing vacancy rates, affordable housing is likely to remain a key issue when the legislature meets once again on Dec. 1.

"The biggest misconception is that people choose to be homeless,” said Kate White, an NDP MLA and newly appointed housing critic.

"Not everyone who is homeless is suffering from addictions issues. Sometimes the difference is just from one paycheque to the next. So when suddenly, there is a health issue or your situation changes, they could end up homeless.”

White admits the situation is a difficult one, with few simple solutions.

"Unfortunately, there is no easy answer,” she said. "The Salvation Army should not be responsible for this whole problem. There is far too much of a burden on them right now.”

White suggests making more downtown properties available for affordable housing, and believes the government should assist renters in providing damage deposits.

Another option, she said, are "Tiny Houses,” a concept recently raised by the Blood Ties Four Directions Centre, which says the tiny, single-person dwellings could be constructed downtown for about $20,000 each.

"What we need is immediate action,” White said.

"The current government has had nine years ... we need to start asking: What can we do tomorrow?”

The office of Scott Kent, the new minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp., was contacted by the Star but the minister was not available to comment.

The Yukon Party platform, entitled Moving Forward Together, does not favour the creation of a downtown sobering centre and detox facility, in line with the recommendations of the Beaton-Allen report.

The party supports the construction of a "secure assessment centre ” at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre, and it would replace the existing Sarah Steele Building detox centre with a larger facility.

The Yukon Party election platform states the party will "work with the Salvation Army to expand or replace their existing homeless shelter in Whitehorse” and plan to "work with an NGO to establish a youth centre in downtown Whitehorse.”

It also says it will "ensure housing options are available to those most in need such as seniors and persons with disabilities throughout the territory.”

But for many on the front lines, not enough has being done to assist those living on the street.

"We need to do far better. We have a great deal of resources here, and as we hit the cold period, they should be made available,” said Craig.

The old nurses' residence on Hospital Road, as well as several of the community's churches and schools, could be used for temporary housing, said Craig.

"I think we will always need a shelter and somewhere that is providing a bed for people to sleep,” said Howard.

"But this town also needs something beyond that. Getting people off the street, we need to look at deeper issues and getting people off the street. I think that is something the government is recognizing though.”

Some suggestions have been made.

Last week, Linda Bonnefoy, a Dec. 1 byelection candidate, addressed council, suggesting the city offer free bus rides to people who cannot afford tickets and provide warming stations for local homeless people.

"We have a lot of people on depression drugs. We have a lot of people in social housing that are not in walking distance of the Salvation Army to get a free meal in the evenings,” she said.

"The people who we should be the kindest to and the most compassionate to, are the people we are turning our backs on,” she said. "We're putting bandages on problems, and there are not solutions.”

It doesn't look like an immediate solution is in the works.

"The City of Whitehorse does not do social programs, as such,” said Mayor Bev Buckway.

"We don't have housing of any sort and we don't have alcohol or drug programs; that's another jurisdiction,” she said.

"We recognize that there is a need for more housing, and we are responsible for zoning some new housing for development. We have been working to accommodate the requests from the territorial government.”

Unfortunately, as the snow continues to fly, ensuring that those on the street have access to safe shelter is more important than ever.

"There are homeless people coming around with no gloves; they have nothing,” said Jackson. "They need help.”

"We wait for the Salvation Army to open up and we actually look forward to it. Because the reality is we drink and we drink Listerine, whatever we can get our hands on, and that's our life. That's life on the street.”