Medicine Hat ended homelessness a year ago, but it didn't last long
CBC
Jan Leibel isn't sure where she's going to spend the night.
She's been camping out in Medicine Hat's Riverside Veterans' Memorial Park, along the South Saskatchewan River, the past few nights, but she was given a $50 ticket for illegal camping and will likely have to find a new spot.
"Probably go into the bushes instead of a tent," she said.
Leibel, 44, was sitting on a blanket next to couple of duffel bags. Aside from the hardship of sleeping in a park, she was having an exceptionally bad day. Along with the ticket, her boyfriend just ended their relationship.
"It's hard when you're on the street because you don't want to be alone," she said.
Leibel has been in and out of homelessness for most of the past year and is considered chronically homeless.
Last year, this city of 63,000 in southeastern Alberta said it ended homelessness in a declaration that drew national attention.
At that time, fewer than three people were considered chronically homeless for at least three consecutive months, enough to declare an end to the problem — the first city in Canada to do so.
However, that status lasted just five months. The city is now trying to find out how big the problem has become and what needs to be done to help those who are without shelter.
A point-in-time count, held every two years, took place the evening of Sept 26. The unofficial number before dozens of volunteers hit the streets to start the count was 17 "chronically, active homeless," with another two dozen people considered in and out of homelessness.
The survey found the number of chronically homeless people has climbed to 19, while the number of those in and out of homelessness soared to 50. And that doesn't include people in transitional housing, shelters, treatment centres and the local remand centre.
The problem is much bigger, depending on who you ask.
Deana Auger believes there are roughly 150 homeless people in Medicine Hat.
"There's a lot of homeless, you should see it," she said while sitting on a sidewalk behind a convenience store across from City Hall.
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