Alberta to spend combined $187M for homelessness, addictions in Edmonton, Calgary
CBC
The Alberta government has committed to five immediate actions and will spend an additional $63 million, over two years, to reduce homelessness throughout the province, it announced Saturday.
The province also announced that it will spend more than $124 million on increasing access to addiction and mental health services in Edmonton and Calgary.
"We know that this will take work for years to come. None of this is going to change overnight," said Premier Jason Kenney during a news conference Saturday morning. "But we are committed to that long-term work."
The money for addictions and mental health services will fund recovery communities, hybrid health and police hubs, therapeutic living units in provincial correctional facilities, medical detox and harm reduction and recovery outreach teams. Over two years, $54 million will go toward operations and $70 million will be for capital spending.
Meanwhile, the government plans to make provincially funded shelters accessible at all times, where needed; balance funding amounts between community-based organizations in Edmonton and Calgary; improve data collection and reporting; and pilot a service hub model, where select shelters in Edmonton and Calgary connect people directly with supports and services they need.
It also committed to expanding the number of shelter spaces during winter months in Edmonton, Wetaskiwin, and Lethbridge, and eight other rural communities in northern and central Alberta.
"These investments show that our collaborative approach is working and, together, we are making life better for struggling Edmontonians," Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said during Saturday's news conference.
Saturday marked the first time Edmonton's police Chief Dale McFee saw a systematic approach, with an end goal of attaining permanent housing, come together since he started in his role, he said during the news conference.
"It's exciting," McFee said. "It gives [the Edmonton Police Service] hope to work with our partners… to make [the community] safer, but also to make it so that people can do business and live their livelihoods here."
The announcements stem from recommendations made in a report submitted last summer by the Coordinated Community Response to Homelessness Task Force — a team of bureaucrats, academics and community group members, among others, that the provincial government established in November 2021.
The group examined how homelessness is affecting communities throughout Alberta, reviewed the current accessibility to various services, such as shelters, and developed a model to deliver a more coordinated community response to homelessness.
The report made 14 recommendations that aim to create clear direction and accountability for tackling homelessness, establish expectations for shelters and better support their staff, and help prevent people from experiencing homelessness in the first place.
On Saturday, the provincial government released its Action Plan on Homelessness. The document explains the approach it will take toward the issue, and further details the five immediate actions it has committed to taking.
The government will help shelters shift to a housing-focused approach: instead of relying on shelters as a housing option, staff will help people return to or move into more stable accommodations.
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