Premier Sandy Silver still doesn’t know how much of the territorial budget will go towards the affordable housing project being built in Whitehorse by Challenge Disability Resource Group.
During question period on March 8, Yukon Party MLA Brad Cathers asked about the amount being given to the project. Silver said the government is working with CDRG to finalize an agreement.
He said the building will be a multi-year project, and the money in the budget for it now won’t be the final amount of money given to it.
“Again, we have seen a lack of detail in this year’s budget,” said Cathers.
“We don’t see a line item indicating how much money is being dedicated. We see no mention of this project in the Premier’s five-year capital plan, although he indicates it will be included in multi-year funding … we are told that something could possibly be in the budget, but for some reason the government has not disclosed that information and no one, including their ministers, can seem to find it.”
Silver said that money will come from the $6 million allocated to affordable housing.
The budget allocated $34.4 million to housing. In addition to the $6 million for affordable housing, $8.9 million will go toward improving existing housing, $2.7 million will go toward a housing first residence, $1.8 million will go toward planning and developing rural lots, and $15 million will go toward developing new lots in Whistle Bend.
The Executive Council Office and Yukon Housing Corporation declined to make anyone available for an interview for this story.
In an email, Jesse Devost, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, said the plan for Whistle Bend includes 80 new lots in April 2018, and 240 lots in 2019.
Contact Amy Kenny at amy.kenny@yukon-news.com