The timeline has been released for a phased closure of a facility that’s been providing services to Leduc’s homeless community for the past 15 years.
In a letter to the Leduc mayor and council Tuesday, officials with the Leduc Hub Association detailed plans for the closure of the homeless support centre called “the Hub.”
“This has really been heartbreaking. We care deeply about the people that we’ve worked with,” said Susan Johnson, executive director of Leduc Hub Association.
“It’s hard. It feels like we’re pulling out that last support from them.”
The looming closure comes after the facility announced earlier this year its permit and lease were expiring, and it hadn’t found a new location for the Hub. The current space no longer meets the Hub’s needs and officials have been searching for a new location for over a year, but have been unsuccessful.
“Going through the permit process is quite an extensive process to do and unfortunately, it probably wouldn’t be successful in this location so we had to find a new location to move to and it’s really hard to find a home for a homeless shelter,” Johnson said.
“That’s been our biggest challenge, finding a space that we could lease or rent.”
Johnson and the association’s acting board chair said in their letter to council that the closure comes after the facility was unable to secure a new location aligned with municipal development permit requirements, a condition to renew its grant funding with the province.
“The province has funding available for us to operate this next year. But without a signed lease agreement and a letter from city council supporting us in our operations, in whichever location it is, we will be unable to obtain that funding,” Johnson explained.
On March 28, the Hub will end all daytime programming. This means washrooms, showers, food, clothing, laundry services, medical and optometry services, addiction treatment services, phone and internet access, financial assistance services, AHS ID card services and outdoor survival supplies will no longer be offered.
On April 1, the Hub will be open for overnight shelter intake from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The doors will be locked at 10:30 p.m. Overnight shelter hours end at 8:30 a.m.
As of May 1, the Hub will be closed to public entirely.
“It’s heartbreaking, there’s just no other word besides just heartbreaking for these guys,” Johnson said. “You can feel their emotions are rising too because there’s uncertainty as to where to go and how to find the basic needs they need to have met.
“They’re local residents and they’re a part of our community. And even though they’re difficult to house, they still deserve to be part of our community and they need a place to belong. So it’s just really devastating.”
Johnson said the Hub remains committed to searching for a suitable location over the next few months in hopes of resuming shelter operations in time for the 2024-2025 winter season.
The Hub’s current location on 47th Street has 10 emergency shelter beds.
Giuseppe Bucco is homeless in Leduc and utilizes the services at the Hub. He said the bottom line is, the city needs a shelter.
“We need a place to go and a place to stay warm and fed because we’re homeless and we’re out now. May 1 we’re out,” Bucco said.
“It’s a big city and it’s a big county and this is the only one and they’re closing it. It’s a scary thought.”
Without a place to go, Bucco worries the people who receive services from the Hub will turn to crime to get their basic needs met.
“People could potentially commit crimes and we don’t want that to happen,” he said.
“People need to eat, and if they don’t have the money or the resources to get food or water, then they’re going to find ways to get it and that’s just how it is.
“If they’re desperate, they will find a way to get what they want and need.”
Bucco has applied for AISH and hopes to get into a long-term care home in the near future. Until then, he will live on the streets.
“We don’t want to freeze and we don’t want to go hungry. We know spring is coming but it’s still not good to be hungry or thirsty or sleeping where we shouldn’t be sleeping,” he said.
Earlier this year, Leduc City Council passed a motion to support the Hub in its community, but details on what that support was remained unclear.
In a statement Wednesday, Leduc Mayor Bob Young acknowledged the gap the closure could create for the city’s vulnerable citizens.
“Leduc is fortunate to have a network of dedicated community groups, in addition to Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and a community navigator who work tirelessly to connect clients to the services they need,” Young said.
The letter from Johnson and Mitchell said the Hub’s board will continue to work with city council on a number of items to support year-round shelter operations, including facilitating a feasibility and cost study, implementing homelessness task force recommendations and informing the city’s new housing strategy.
The Hub executives said city council can further support the Hub by reaching out to the provincial government for support for year-round emergency shelter services in Leduc. They’re also asking council to reach out to the federal government to discuss the possibility of the sale or donation of publicly owned lands of facilities for the development of housing infrastructure.
“Collaboration is important in finding sustainable strategies to address the complex issue of houselessness,” Young said.
“Leduc City Council is committed to working with the ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services to find a response that best suits our community, while city administration investigates overnight shelter options for the winter months and in extreme weather, as well as crisis diversion and community outreach services.”
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