Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I received a copy of a proposal called the Community Response to Housing Needs: Emergency, Transitional, and Hard-to-House. Mr. Speaker, this proposal was put together by the Young Women's Christian Association of Yellowknife, the Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Salvation Army, and the Side Door. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the four non-government organizations in Yellowknife who worked to put this proposal together.
Amidst a time of fiscal restraint, this type of co-operative effort needs to be recognized and encouraged. The YWCA, the Women's Centre, the Salvation Army, and the Side Door have joined forces to recommend a strategy for responding to the housing needs of at risk people living in or moving to Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, as an urban centre, Yellowknife has recently experienced a significant increase in the number of high needs individuals and families moving here that require specialized housing and support services.
A large number of these people come from the communities, and the greatest increase has been in young people with no permanent homes. Mr. Speaker, the housing services in Yellowknife are provided by a number of agencies, but there is a lack of co-ordination between non-government organizations and social agencies, which results in gaps in service and some duplication.
Mr. Speaker, the YWCA, the Yellowknife Women's Centre, the Salvation Army and the Side Door want to work together with their partners within the Government of the Northwest Territories to develop a long-term strategy to address the special needs of hard-to-house people. I think the need to do this, Mr. Speaker, was highlighted by some of the reports we heard about one centre closing down here, perhaps within the next few days, in Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out that these groups are not looking, and I repeat, not looking, for an increase in funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are looking for a co-ordinated approach to develop the inter-agency protocols, identify ongoing needs, and to maximize the current resources. A strong partnership would also be more effective in accessing federal funding and surplus federal housing. Mr. Speaker, a strategic long-term plan must be developed to address homelessness, particularly in this city. I will be forwarding this proposal to the Ministers responsible, asking that they meet together with the representatives from these agencies to consider it. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.