The Safe at Home Society will start providing 20 units for short-term supportive housing at the former Coast High Country Inn starting in mid-February.

The announcement was made this morning.

The move is designed to alleviate the pressures of homelessness faced by vulnerable Yukoners this winter.

The initiative aligns with the goal to provide permanent supportive housing at this site in the future.

A temporary occupancy permit was issued by the City of Whitehorse earlier this month, and the organization is able to occupy the building until June 30.

The Yukon government provided the society with funding for capital improvements necessary for the temporary supportive housing and is finalizing an agreement to provide 24/7 on-site support.

All temporary housing units will be allocated from the By-Name List, Whitehorse’s real-time list of individuals experiencing homelessness.

Those with questions about how units will be allocated should contact Anthony Boisvert, manager, Temporary Housing Program, at Safe at Home at 334-8987.

“We are pleased to support the Safe at Home Society in providing Yukoners with wrap-around housing with services this winter,” said Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee.

“We will continue to work with the Safe at Home Society and other partners on new, innovative ways to address homelessness in our community.”

Kate Mechan, the society’s executive director, said the organization “is thrilled to put this building to use for the next five months by directly supporting individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

“A foundation of this temporary program will be to work with tenants to obtain permanent housing. In the background, Safe at Home will work with Government of Yukon and other funders to ensure the future state of the project will be realized.”