A draft action plan for the Yukon is now available to Yukoners and community partners. A finalized action plan will be implemented this fall after it has been refined through collaboration with territorial housing partners. The action plan includes initiatives that will support vulnerable Yukoners in finding safe and affordable homes.
This draft action plan addresses the nine recommendations in the recent Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) performance audit on the state of housing in the Yukon. The audit focused on emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive housing and social housing. The private rental market and home ownership were not considered as part of the OAG audit.
Initiatives in the draft action plan focus on strengthening community partnerships, increased data sharing and improving progress measurements. Key actions in the draft plan include:
- strengthening relationships with non-profit housing providers and First Nations governments to establish a common understanding of needs among the most vulnerable, and coordinate an allocation of housing stock and services across the sector;
- establishing a program evaluation framework for Community Housing with corresponding performance indicators linked to outcomes and targets;
- integrating performance monitoring into funding agreements with third-party housing providers;
- developing a Social Supports Branch Quarterly Housing Report that supports analysis and decision-making pertaining to housing needs;
- creating a new interdepartmental committee on housing that will share information and expertise on actions, from homelessness to homeownership; and
- promoting more data-driven decision-making and adopting key performance indicators to track progress on clearly defined goals.
The Government of Yukon will work closely with community partners, including Yukon First Nations, Indigenous organizations, municipal governments, private and not for profit housing and service providers, to finalize a detailed plan that will be presented to the OAG in November.
Housing is a fundamental social determinant of health and every Yukoner deserves to have access to a safe and affordable place they can call home. Thank you to our community partners and everyone who is working hard to create more housing options for Yukoners and providing input that has informed this important housing action plan.
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee
Thanks to our community partners, First Nation governments, private developers and the Yukon Housing Corporation, we are creating a housing action plan that will increase housing options for Yukoners. Meeting the increasing housing demands in the Yukon is not something one government or organization can accomplish alone. Through our continued shared work, I look forward to seeing more Yukoners find homes for them and their families.
Minister responsible for Yukon Housing Corporation Ranj Pillai
The draft action plan is also being released to the Public Accounts Committee, who requested a status report and action plan by August 22, 2022.
The draft action plan outlines key actions and associated timelines to address all nine recommendations from an Office of the Auditor General of Canada housing report completed in May 2022.
The housing report followed a performance audit on the state of housing for vulnerable Yukoners.
The scope of the auditor’s report included the Yukon Housing Corporation’s assessment of housing needs and the provision of housing in the Yukon, as well as Health and Social Services’ role in overseeing the provision of emergency shelters, transitional housing and supportive housing. The private rental market and home ownership were not considered as part of the OAG audit.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Julie Ménard
Communications, Yukon Housing Corporation
867-332-7302
julie.menard@yukon.ca
Cameron Heke
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-3708
cameron.heke@yukon.ca