The Yukon Liberal Party has announced new plans to address the housing crisis facing the territory.

As part of its comprehensive housing strategy, the party will support the proposed Northern City Supportive Housing Coalition (NCSHC) project, party leader Arthur Mitchell and Whitehorse Centre candidate Patrick Singh said this morning. They spoke at a press conference held at Liberal headquarters at the corner of First Avenue and Strickland Street.

The project, which is supported by the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition, is a collaborative effort among several Yukon non-profits.

They aim to construct 20 units of affordable and supportive housing for some of the community's most marginalized and difficult-to-house residents.

For Mitchell, the initiative is a step toward a solution he believes is not being adequately addressed by competing parties.

"The minister of housing (Steve Nordick) has $18 million sitting in the bank,” he said. " We urged them to take advantage of the summer building season to use it, to help house people with nowhere to go, but they did not listen.”

As for the NDP, "They offer no solution,” he said bluntly.

Mitchell believes the NCSHC provides a valuable alternative because of its "housing first” philosophy, a strategy that focuses on providing immediate, stable housing to the homeless, prior to addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.

It's an approach, Mitchell says, which has had some success in communities such as Winnipeg and Seattle.

The location of the proposed development has not been announced but will be somewhere in the downtown area, with construction set for next year's building season.

"Housing is a top priority because too many are being insufficiently housed and this is a tool we can use to make the need a reality now,” said Mitchell.

The candidates mentioned Whitehorse's tent city on the law outside the legislature as an example of just how out-of-control the situation has gotten.

"Tent city is a protest but we can choose to ignore it, deal with it in the justice system or the health care system or we can approach this as a housing first initiative and invest in affordable solutions to the housing situation now,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell said that even in his own home riding of Copper Ridge, an area of relatively high home ownership, people are still struggling with issues of housing affordability.

"It's spread even to government employees,” he said. "I can't go a day without people telling me that they are struggling to pay their mortgages. It's going to take a multifaceted approach to say that we are really addressing the housing needs of Yukoners.”

Singh said affordable and supportive housing is an issue close to home for him as well.

"My business is right beside the Salvation Army. Sometimes at my shop, I see the police come three or four times a day and then often the ambulances show up as well,” he said.

"We used to be able to time lunch based on when ambulances arrived. Its not the people's fault; they need help. They are our brothers and sisters, and they need to be taken care of.”

Singh voiced his own support of the project and named it as a primary campaign issue in Whitehorse Centre as well.

"I am 100-per-cent behind this initiative, and I am glad Arthur will throw 100-per-cent support behind it,” he said.

Housing has been outlined as a major issue for all parties in the territorial election. So far, the Liberal party's strategy also includes doubling the Home Owners grant and introducing a $600 tax credit for renters.

But even with this focus on an issue close to many Yukon residents, the latest DataPath Systems poll numbers showed the Liberals at 15 per cent support, down from 39 per cent a year ago.

On that issue, Mitchell quoted federal Liberal campaign strategist Warren Kinsella: "Our job is not to read the polls, it's to raise the polls.”

By MAX LEIGHTON

Star Reporter