City staff say if everything goes according to plan, there will be enough shelter beds for each Edmontonian who needs one over the coming winter.
In an update to city council Wednesday, staff said there should be 1,700 shelter beds by Nov. 1, 900 more than there were last year.
Homeward Trust’s most recent count of people experiencing homelessness found there are 558 people currently staying in shelters and 682 people sleeping rough on the street.
The beds include 777 spaces already open, 295 “long term shelter” spaces, and up to 850 spaces that will come from the province. The province asked for partners to apply for funding to provide winter shelter in July.
Some Edmonton city councillors have been critical of the Government of Alberta for not providing enough support to the city, especially in the realms of homelessness, mental health, addictions and disorder, but Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he was pleased to hear about the funding for beds.
“I’m really appreciative of minister (of seniors, community and social services Jason) Nixon and his staff for stepping up and working with us to increase the capacity and that community organizations can increase more shelter spaces,” Sohi said.
Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack said he’s seen people sleeping rough in much more far-flung corners of the city, in part because some vulnerable people don’t feel comfortable visiting shelters in the inner city.
“We need to have these places distributed across the entire city,” Knack said.
City staff said the province has been open in conversation regarding more services for vulnerable people in the west end after the Jasper Place Wellness Centre closed over a lack of funding in May.
For several years, the city has operated a warming bus to take vulnerable people to shelters overnight when the temperature is below -10 C, but this year it is trying something slightly different.
The city is looking for an operator who will run that kind of bus every night, regardless of temperature, starting Nov. 1. The route will run on a “predetermined but flexible route” between transit centres and LRT stations with higher numbers of vulnerable people congregating, the city said.
The new approach won’t use Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) buses and drivers, according to Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, director of transit.
“We’re looking at an external provider to provide that support so it will be done more reliably, it won’t require as much overtime from city resources and it will be done in a more cost-effective manner,” Hotton-MacDonald said.
There will also be extra buses running when the city activates its extreme weather response when it is forecast to be -20 or colder for three days or more, the city said. Boyle Street Community Services runs a transport bus during the day.
On Wednesday, city council also approved funding for new affordable and supportive housing for two developments in south Edmonton — City-led supportive housing in Holyrood and a project ran by Right at Home Housing Society in King Edward Park. Council also approved the sale of the Holyrood property to Homeward Trust for $1, according to a news release from the city.
“Once the building is complete, it will be transferred to Homeward Trust, which will select a non-profit agency to run the supportive housing program,” the city said. “Tenants (with disabilities) will be matched to the program based on their needs.”
The two developments received $15.4 million from the federal government through the Rapid Housing Initiative, the city said.