With the release of its housing action plan Monday, the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition is issuing a call to the entire community to address what they've termed a "housing crisis” in Whitehorse.

"This is not an acceptable situation,” Marilyn Wolovick, executive director of Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services, told a news conference.

She pointed to the expense many go to for housing in the city, with houses in the second quarter of last year averaging $368,800 and many families finding themselves short on grocery money to pay for the houses.

The Yukon Housing Corp.'s wait list includes 142 files with Grey Mountain Housing having a wait list of 142 families, notes the report, titled A Home For Everyone.

The committee members who worked on the plan represented groups like Many Rivers, Blood Ties Four Directions, the Yukon Status of Women Council and the anti-poverty coalition.

There are issues with each type of housing in the city, including emergency shelters, transitional housing, long-term supportive housing, rental housing and affordable home ownership.

The good news?

"There are many answers and solutions to those challenges,” said Bill Thomas, who chairs the housing task force for the anti-poverty coalition.

He stressed the need to work together on the solutions.

Among the proposals outlined in the 24-page report:

• Transitional and long-term supportive housing would be increased so the Salvation Army's shelter could go back to its original purpose of an emergency accommodation. Many dependents are using the downtown facility for the longer term due to the lack of transitional housing.

• Funding would be committed to an emergency shelter for youth and accessible to those under the age of 16 with barrier-free access. That would help address the service limits and funding issues for youth shelter.

• The city's zoning bylaw would be revised to allow hostels and boarding housing in more zones to address the insufficient supply of low-cost transient and short-term housing.

• Community support workers would be provided to residents of rooming hotels to reduce evictions and the over-use of the emergency shelter.

• The number of facilities providing in-house support staff would be expanded to deal with the insufficient and sometimes non-existent supportive housing.

• The Healthy Families program would be expanded to include families with school age children to deal with the insufficient support offered to vulnerable populations.

• The Yukon government would "adopt and act” on the Landlord and Tenant Act report by the legislative assembly's select committee that looked at it.

• More land would be released for housing developments, density in developments would be increased and zoning would be modified to fit with the city's updated Official Community Plan to expand the supply of affordable housing.

• Housing lots would be sold at 15 per cent below market value in any development.

There are a number of other suggestions that came out of the plan, with officials stressing the need for the entire community to work on the issue.

"Everyone can find a place in this action plan,” Hrenchuk said.

For local residents, taking action can be as simple as renting out a vacant room if they have it.

While right now, with a vacancy rate in the one per cent range, landlords can pretty much charge what they want, it was pointed out if the vacancy rate were to grow to between three and seven per cent, it would give renters more options and could force landlords to lower their rental rates.

Along with looking at the local situation and interviewing Whitehorse residents, the report looked at other jurisdictions. It proposed that Yukon Housing look at initiatives like the Northwest Territories' home ownership programs.

Committee members now plan to meet with government leaders and others to review the plan.