The Safe at Home Society is seeking $1.7 million from the City of Whitehorse to assist with converting the former High Country Inn into 55 supportive housing units.

Kate Mechan, the society’s executive director, told council at Monday night’s meeting the issue of homelessness in Whitehorse is a serious one.

There are 230 individuals and family groups who are homeless, she said.

Mechan said there are several hundred clients receiving social assistance, and the number is going up.

The Safe at Home Society, she said, is the only society to find permanent homes for the homeless.

Mechan said she is looking forward to partnering with the city to get the project done.

The administrative report prepared for council noted the amount requested is $1.74 million. That includes other fees and charges and a waiver of outstanding penalties and levies.

The list is as follows:

• forgiving anticipated municipal taxes over a 10-year term ($1,408,724);

• waiving permitting and inspection fees ($213,000);

• forgiving utility charges for 2022/23 ($25,000);

• writing off outstanding taxes ($69,212) and interest/penalties ($7,587); and

• writing off outstanding utilities ($10,266) and interest/penalties ($1,735).

City administration is recommending council approve the funding request. Council will vote on the recommendation at an upcoming meeting.

Mechan told council they’ve already received $16.7 million in funding for their project and will need a similar amount to complete the project.

Funding so far has been provided by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., other federal funding agencies and theYukon government.

Once Safe at Homes has its design 65-per-cent complete, it will be able to put together a much better estimate, she said.

Mechan said the society believes it can secure the additional funding, and once it does, it will finalize the design and solidify the estimate.

The society would like to see construction begin after the final estimate is available in the early fall, she said.

Mechan said they are hoping for project completion in early 2025.

The Safe at Home Society purchased the High Country Inn in January 2022.

It has been issued a temporary occupancy permit by the city to the end of June.

The permit will allow the society to provide housing beginning this month while it advances the project design and planning.

In a statement late last month, Mechan said the society was “thrilled to put this building to us 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 if the project will be realized.”