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7-Cities working to end homelessness in Alberta’s largest centres

Jun 18, 2018 | 6:41 AM

RED DEER — Considering homelessness is one of the key issues when dealing with the opioid crisis, it was appropriate that the ‘7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness’ conference met in Red Deer last week.
 
 The “7 Cities” group began working together in 2001 and started to implement Housing First plans in 2008, making Alberta the first province to initiate a plan to end homelessness.
 
Martin Thomsen, Manager for Community Social Development for the City, attended on behalf of Lethbridge and says, the whole conference about ending homelessness in Alberta.  He specifically addressed the issues in Lethbridge.
 
“We’ve been hit hard by the opioid crisis and we know in the city the number one cause of homelessness is drug and substane abuse, so we’re finding the opioid crisis has super-sized our problem and it’s something that we have addressed and worked very hard, in previous years, to end homelessness but, it is an ever ever-growing and ever-evolving problem.”
 
For that reason, Thomsen sees the “7 Cities” conference as critical.
 
“We all come together, we learn from each other, share information, we learn best practices, we connect with different levels of government, all with the goal of someday ending homelessness – but, let’s be realistic, cause right now, it’s about reducing homelessness and getting those people into a home.  They can’t find a job and it’s very difficult to survive, to find a job, to maintain a job, if you haven’t got a place to live.”
 
 Thomsen goes on to articulate housing is a priority in Lethbridge.
 
“Our Council has just approved the development of a municipal housing strategy, where we are going to analyze the entire spectrum of housing, not just homelessness but, the entire spectrum – transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, social housing, affordable housing market housing and all the way up to home ownership.”
 
Thomsen says the goal is to not only get those homeless people housed but, move them along that spectrum to the point where they own a home. 
 
“That’s the perfect end result.  It’s a challenge, no doubt about it but, it’s through conferences like this that we can get the information and share best practices, learn how to make a difference.”
 
Since the “7 Cities” group began working to implement Housing First plans in 2008, homeless populations and shelter use have gone down drastically in the communities of Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Wood Buffalo, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton. In addition, Housing First clients have spent 85 per cent fewer days in jail, 64 per cent fewer days in hospital, and had 57 per cent fewer interactions with police.

According to 2016 Point-in-Time homeless counts, there were 5,373 individuals experiencing homelessness across the seven cities. New homeless counts have been completed but, the numbers won’t be released until July, when it’s expected the data will show the numbers have increased again, including in Lethbridge.

   — 7 Cities Conference on Housing First and Homelessness