Council approved funding for the strategy on April 18, 2023, which includes $500,000 per year for 2023-2026 and $250,000 one-time funding to support the strategy. (Photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

City of Lethbridge approves coordinated Encampment Strategy

May 16, 2023 | 3:35 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council approved a coordinated Encampment Strategy on the afternoon of May 16, 2023.

Through its partnership with the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), City administration presented a refined Encampment Strategy with several goals:

• Supporting the most vulnerable by connecting them to housing and social supports
• Ensuring parks and open spaces are safe and enjoyable for everyone
• Preventing entrenchment to minimize health and safety concerns
• Informing residents of how to report encampments
• Keeping the community informed on encampment responses

Mayor Blaine Hyggen supported the strategy, saying “Addressing homelessness takes significant resources, compassion and collaboration. We know we can’t solve homelessness overnight, which is why we have developed this strategy. It will help us manage the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness in our community, which, in the warmer months, we see in the form of encampments.”

Council approved funding for the strategy on April 18, 2023, which includes $500,000 per year for 2023-2026 and $250,000 in one-time funding to support the Encampment Strategy.

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The funding support will include the implementation of two full-time encampment response positions and one full-time Housing Specialist, the latter of which has been posted on the city’s website.

It will also include:

• Funding for LPS overtime resources
• Additional resource funding, including, but not limited to: vehicle and fuel, biohazard cleanup resources, training, personal protective equipment etc.
• Contracted outreach services (increased with additional one-time funds)

The strategy also outlines a multi-step approach that will emphasize an encampment response based on health and safety risks before allotting the appropriate resources. With the additional funding provided by the strategy, the city is committing to providing services year-round into the less active months, where in the past, the main focus was on spring and summer.

Andrew Malcolm, General Manager of Community Social Development, said, “Now with year-round resourcing, we’ll be able to do that proactive planning for the winter months, as well as wrap our heads around where those individuals who are living in encampments over the summer are going, and what that impact is on our community.”

So far in 2023, the LPS has completed six cleanups in the city, with the city’s Clean Sweep program being present at all six.

LPS Sargeant Ryan Darroch with the Downtown Policing Unit said, “We’ve seen a large level of compliance cleaning up several different locations across the city and moving people to different supports and/or different locations as well.”

The city is putting emphasis on making sure there are resources to accomodate those who are moved from the encampments, and it has partnered with both the Lethbridge Housing Authority and the Blood Tribe Department of Health, who operate the main homeless shelter in Lethbridge.

The community is also asked to help and report encampments by calling 311. Any immediate, life-threatening issues should always be reported by calling 911.

Read more at LethbridgeNewsNow.com