Proposed Yukon rental changes could put the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yukon’s Landlords Working to End Homelessness program at risk, threatening homes it sublets to people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, executive director Neena MacKinnon said in a recent interview.

The territorial government proposed removing rent caps and introducing six-month no-cause evictions across the territory on Oct. 8.

MacKinnon said these legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act risk undermining the Landlords Working to End Homelessness program, which provides housing stability for individuals requiring specialized support by having non-profits lease private-market rentals.

By guaranteeing rent, covering damages, and providing continuous tenant support, the program eliminates landlord risk to secure stable, low-barrier housing for high-needs clients.

MacKinnon highlighted the heavy human toll of these changes, specifically citing a local mother and her young children who have happily lived in one of the residential unit since 2019. She warned that finding a suitable replacement within strict social assistance limits would be virtually impossible.

While the Landlords Working to End Homelessness model was originally a community project utilized by multiple non-profits, the framework’s private-market footprint has become fragile. MacKinnon noted that the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre lost its specific program funding years ago, while Blood Ties Four Directions now operates five tiny houses on property it owns rather than navigating private market leases.

This leaves Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yukon as one of the remaining organizations left subletting and absorbing the financial liabilities of private rental market units, a footprint that has already dwindled from 14 units down to just 10 since 2024 due to rising market costs and shifting landlord priorities.

Continuous housing disruption impacts daily household routines, children’s schooling, and personal progress. MacKinnon noted that the looming fear of sudden displacement directly threatens long-term stability, personal sobriety, and employment goals.

“Many of the units that we have in our LWEH program have children in those spaces as well, and when they see their parent upset and stressed out, you know that’s going to impact their schooling. It’s going to impact all of these things,” MacKinnon said.

Scheduled to take effect across the Yukon on Dec. 1, 2026, the government’s proposed bill to amend the Residential Tenancies Act permanently removes rent caps and introduces six-month no-cause eviction notices.

The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society of Yukon challenged a landlord’s owner-use eviction notices involving multiple units on one property. MacKinnon said the Residential Tenancy Office allowed the owner to take one unit while staying the notices for the others. She said the remaining tenants could be at risk if proposed no-cause eviction rules take effect.

MacKinnon said most one-bedroom rentals she was finding on Whitehorse’s private market were about $1,800 a month, compared with a maximum single-bedroom social-assistance rate of about $1,188 at the time of the interview. She said the rate was due to change in November.

Local community organizations and individual social assistance recipients remain ineligible for Yukon Housing Corporation rental subsidies due to established policies restricting duplicate financial aid, leaving tenants with virtually no safety net to cover steep rent hikes.

Community Services Minister Cory Bellmore has defended the proposed legislation, arguing that removing rent caps will encourage property owners back into the market, increase overall housing supply, effectively balancing the diverse needs of both tenants and landlords.

Official Opposition Leader Kate White challenged the territorial government during debate on Oct. 13, arguing that removing protections gambles renters’ housing security on unproven economic promises and leaves vulnerable residents exposed to exorbitant price hikes.

Alternative housing options are already tight across the territory. MacKinnon noted that single individuals often wait up to four years for public housing. Meanwhile, The Hearth supportive housing facility which opened earlier this year in Whitehorse has only 32 of its 67 suites occupied, yet faces a waitlist of more than 300 people.

As the territory prepares for the regulatory shift, the non-profit warns the changes could push more people onto the street and undo the progress made by vulnerable clients.

“How are we going to support those people and prevent even more deaths from exposure and accidental overdoses,” MacKinnon said.

Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com

Yukon News

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