File photo of Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Mayor Hyggen looking at further actions to address encampments

Jul 14, 2022 | 1:26 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Mayor of Lethbridge says he wants solutions that can both aid those at risk and keep the community safe.

Blaine Hyggen has released a statement regarding encampments that have formed in a couple of areas around the city.

“I have heard from many members of our community on their concerns about the encampment sites around our city and I want to say, I hear you and I echo your concerns,” says Hyggen. “I’m concerned about the folks who have had to resort to living in an encampment and I am concerned about the sites and the risk they pose to the health of our community.”

He says a “compassionate clean-up effort” is underway at Civic Centre Park alongside community partners and the Lethbridge Police Service.

As a long-term solution, the mayor believes that Lethbridge will need more transitional and permanent supportive housing, adding that the rest of Lethbridge City Council shares this belief.

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At the July 26, 2022, regular council meeting, Hyggen plans to bring forward an official business motion to discuss other ideas as well.

“The motion will look to act on what we can do as a City Council immediately to help stop the encampments from happening and what we can do in the long term to get the housing and resources we need from the Provincial Government and to not become a tax burden on our residents,” says Hyggen.

Hyggen adds that he is just as frustrated by the issues surrounding encampments as everyone else and that it will take a collaborative effort to get things under control.

The full, unedited statement from Hyggen is available below:

I have heard from many members of our community on their concerns about the encampment sites around our city and I want to say, I hear you and I echo your concerns. I’m concerned about the folks who have had to resort to living in an encampment and I am concerned about the sites and the risk they pose to the health of our community.

A compassionate clean-up effort is currently underway in the area surrounding the Civic Track with several organizations providing assistance and outreach. I’d like to extend my thanks to the City staff, community partners and Lethbridge Police Service who are helping with these efforts at the encampment sites. The work being done in helping to navigate some of the situations encountered within the encampment sites is hard and complex and I am grateful to those assisting the vulnerable members of our community.

City Council knows the only way out of this cyclical encampment situation is with transitional and permanent supportive housing. This is why I am bringing forward an Official Business Motion to City Council’s next meeting on July 26 to discuss what we can do now to find a constructive, compassionate way to work through this complex situation. The motion will look to act on what we can do as a City Council immediately to help stop the encampments from happening and what we can do in the long term to get the housing and resources we need from the Provincial Government and to not become a tax burden on our residents.

I know many of you are frustrated and I am too. We do not have all of the answers and there is no simple quick fix to this situation. Many cities around the world are struggling with encampments and it’s a long and hard path ahead. I look forward to discussing this issue further with my Council colleagues.

Be safe and kind to one another.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen

READ MORE: City of Lethbridge responding to encampment concerns