Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published Jan 03, 2024 • 3 minute read
City of Edmonton crews begin clearing a homeless encampment near 9510 105 Ave., following an eviction, in Edmonton Friday Dec. 29, 2023. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia
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Homelessness is constantly in the news; this coming year will be pivotal to address this longstanding challenge in our city.
Public figures and social agencies continue to focus their attention on this difficult subject. A few weeks ago, our police chief expressed his frustration on CBC Radio underlining that something had to be done but he was, at the time, unsure what was the best course.
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Shortly after the interview, he announced the takedown of eight high-risk encampments. This, in turn, triggered legal action by a human rights organization, a subsequent short pause by the police service and now the resumption of the takedown. Meanwhile, city administration continues to canvass ideas to update its strategy book as it is likely that the encampments will reappear in the next few weeks and homelessness will remain an ongoing challenge for our community.
Collectively, the writers have spent more than a few decades working with marginalized Edmontonians to address medical, housing, mental health, policing and social-policy challenges. We’d like to offer three practical initiatives as we enter a new year.
Firstly, we need to know enough about the people who are experiencing homelessness. We heard recently from Homeward Trust that in December there were 3,043 people who are homeless, including 700 people who are unsheltered. Overall, about 48 per cent are women, almost 60 per cent are Indigenous and 20 per cent are youth. We need to know more about this segment of our population if we are going to plan effectively, broaden our understanding and make a difference.
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During COVID, an additional 1,000 individuals became homeless. Who are they? What caused them to slip into homelessness? Are there some common reasons that would suggest an effective preventative response? A working group could pull together relevant information to help us update our knowledge about who is on the street, why they are there and what we can do about it.
Secondly, a significant number of people are released from incarceration who end up on the street. How many times have we heard stories about inmates dropped off with a bus ticket in their hands and nothing to get them on their feet.
A federal government report in 2022 found that 30 per cent of inmates discharged from both provincial jails or federal prisons face homelessness within two years of their release. There was a time in Alberta when inmates were released with money earned while at work in jail that helped them find a place to stay. Needless to say, we also need transition services to work with people leaving jail to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
Lastly, there is the challenge of encampments. We know that many people living on the street are afraid to stay in some shelters. They mention the fear of theft and concerns about physical harm. As a result, they stay where they often feel safer — in a tent, despite the weather, the risk related to using propane tanks for heat and the victimization by gangs and others.
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In our city, we have a number of street outreach teams that visit encampments. To complement their efforts, we are proposing the deployment of a suitably resourced mobile van that would have a consistent daily presence in encampments and serve as a useful bridge to existing street outreach services.
Ideally, such a mobile van could be staffed with a peer support worker with lived experience that would build credibility with people in encampments. The van would also include a mental health and addiction staff member, a resource to connect people to income support and housing resources. It’s the consistent presence and the direct connection to meaningful support that could make all the difference.
These are relatively modest ideas — and we are not addressing larger systemic issues such as the availability of permanent supportive housing and mental health services — but if we want to end 2024 in a better place than last year, let’s add these ideas to the list so the city, the chief of police and social agencies can do an even better job in the coming year.
Joan Baker is the former vice-president of community and housing Initiatives, YMCA of Northern Alberta.
Cecila Blasetti is the former executive director of the Boyle-McCauley Health Centre.
Linda McConnan is the former executive director of the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
David Berger is the former deputy executive director of Boyle Street Community Services.
Dr. John Lilley is the former vice-chair of the Edmonton Police Commission.
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