Edmonton's emergency shelter plan still a work in progress as winter looms

Plans to create more overnight winter shelter spaces in Edmonton will come up short for filling the entire need — a need city councillors say needs a permanent solution.

Councillors got an update at a meeting Wednesday on the city's homelessness response strategy, which is calling for another 450 winter shelter spaces.

That addition would bring the total number of shelter spots in Edmonton to 1,070. On an average night, 1,300 people sleep outside or at emergency shelters in Edmonton, according to housing agency Homeward Trust. 

As of this month, Homeward Trust said 2,650 Edmontonians are experiencing homelessness.

Anne Stevenson, councillor for downtown ward O-day'min, said people may continue to seek shelter in various public spaces. 

"We'll have to see how it goes," Stevenson told media Wednesday. "I worry that we will see impacts in terms of folks having no other options but taking shelter in transit for example."

Downtown businesses, City Centre Mall, and the library are also common places for homeless people to seek shelter, she said. 

"Those are ongoing risks and concerns and something I'll be watching closely," she said. 

It's not clear how much the city will need to contribute for the spaces, as council did not publicly discuss that at the meeting and it wasn't included in the strategy update report. 

The province is contributing about $5 million for shelter spaces in Edmonton in 2023 and 2024 as part of a larger package to address homelessness and addictions issues. 

Hope Mission will operate some of the spaces and plans to open the first ones Nov. 1, and then stagger the opening for other spaces into December. 

Tim Pasma, manager of homeless programs at Hope Mission, said they're still working on a plan.

"We're still determining what that's going to look like," he told media on Wednesday. 

He said some spaces will be in the main building downtown but that they're looking at other locations.