Expression of Interest - Transitional Housing for Addictions Recovery Units

The Department of Health and Social Services invites interested communities/organizations to submit an expression of interest to establish Territorial Transitional Housing Options for Addiction Recovery.

The establishment of transitional, sober/recovery housing for individuals returning from addictions treatment is a priority for the 19th Legislative Assembly.

Transitional sober/recovery houses help people returning from addictions treatment to build on skills and habits learned while in treatment.  It also helps them to develop sober social relationships in the NWT, which can assist in their recovery. The GNWT is seeking expressions of interest from communities interested in operating a sober/recovery house program for NWT residents returning from addictions treatment.  The GNWT will work with selected communities to develop specific program models and establish the required infrastructure to provide temporary supportive accommodation and programming that allows individuals to transition into fully independent living at their own pace when they return from an addictions treatment center.

Transitional housing of this sort is not currently offered in the NWT.  The GNWT is committed to working with Communities to determine a service delivery model that best fits the needs of NWT residents with a goal to enhance community-based aftercare, reduce the number of returns to treatment, and increase the length of time between treatments.

Application Requirements:

As an NWT Community/Organization, please complete and submit the EOI: Transitional Housing Application Template, and provide detail on the following: 

  • Your organization’s name and key contact information (phone number, fax number, mailing address, e-mail address)
  • Description of your organization and mandate
  • Description of your organization and experience with Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery programming
  • Summarize your vision for a Transitional Housing for Addiction Recovery program.  Please incorporate a description of the following elements: 
    • What the program could look like, i.e. its service delivery model (e.g., what services and supports will be delivered, social and cultural considerations)
    • Identify partners you could work with to deliver the Transitional Housing for Addiction Recovery Program (e.g. community supports, territorial supports)
  • Description of existing infrastructure in the community available for this purpose (if applicable). E.g.:
    • conversion of a non-residential building to housing unit
    • conversion/acquisition of existing housing unit
  • The location/address of the proposed site, if applicable.
  • The zoning of the site, if applicable
  • The environmental status of the land (include a copy of a phase 1 environmental assessment, if completed, if applicable.)

Please note: Applicants are not required to have existing infrastructure or programming in place to support the development of a transitional sober/recovery program. However, existing program capacity and infrastructure may be an asset and should be identified in the application submission. 

Funding:

Applicants are not required to identify existing funding to support this program development. GNWT program and infrastructure funding discussions will take place with successful EOI applicants at a later date.

Preferences:

While all responses to the EOI will be considered, responses that include the following would be considered an asset to potential program development:

  • Have a clearly defined service delivery model that incorporates the use of existing partnerships and supports
  • Have existing community staffing and programming capacity
  • Have experience in delivering programs and services for mental wellness and addictions recovery.
  • Have the capacity to deliver a program for residents from across the region.

The GNWT will review all expressions of interest and gauge the amount of interest in the project and the general viability of the endeavor. After a full review of all submissions received, the GNWT may issue a request for detailed proposals to all parties who have expressed interest.

The GNWT reserves the right to invite other parties who may not have originally expressed interest in submitting a response to participate in the process. Organizations not located in the NWT are not eligible to apply.  Neither are for-profit private sector businesses.

Administrative Issues Regarding the EOI:

The GNWT is not liable for any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation of a response to this EOI. The GNWT shall not be responsible for any liabilities, costs, expenses, loss or damage occurred, sustained, or suffered by any respondent, prior to or subsequent to, or by reason of any delay in the acceptance of the response to the EOI.

The GNWT reserves the right to request respondents to clarify any information related to their Expression of Interest.

The information submitted in response to this EOI will be treated in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Closing Date

Call for Expressions closed on December 17, 2021.