FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                  January 21, 2022

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Party is calling on the Liberal government and the Yukon Housing Corporation to help find an emergency residence for dozens of people on social assistance who call the Chilkoot Trail Inn home.

“I was concerned to hear of the situation at the Chilkoot Inn where many vulnerable citizens are now forced to find new accommodation in just two weeks during the frigid winter months,” said Yukon Party Housing Critic Yvonne Clarke. “The people who lived there need to be accommodated in the interim and this only adds to the current housing crisis in the Yukon.” 

While there are some social and low-income housing initiatives underway in Whitehorse, overall housing remains an issue and the Yukon Housing Corporation says it has a waitlist of 443 people. If there were more housing available, it would be easier to find a temporary home and lower prices in an overheated rental market. 

“A lack of supply remains the underlying issue and the Yukon Party has been requesting more lots be made available for the construction of not only single-family homes, but other types of housing,” Clarke said. “There are many private developers who want to build but are being stymied by red tape and a lack of lots. October’s housing summit included discussion around identifying and removing barriers to housing development as one way government could increase the housing stock.” 

The social housing waitlist has grown by the hundreds since the Liberals took power in 2016. What has made this situation worse has been the loss of rental units in the Yukon due to the NDP-Liberal rent control policy. It is clear that the housing situation is not getting better under this government, only worse.

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Contact:
Tim Kucharuk
Press Secretary
(867) 393-7026