© Provided by Edmonton Journal Mayor Amarjeet Sohi speaks to reporters on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, at city hall in Edmonton.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is calling on the province to fund an additional 24-7 shelter at Commonwealth Stadium for the winter to address an anticipated 350-bed gap in overnight shelter capacity.
Sohi addressed media Friday afternoon about his request, days after the city released a report on the its homeless response outlining “a significant gap in services” if more shelter spaces aren’t added. Shelter beds have been reduced by about 35 per cent compared to last winter, but the number of residents experiencing homelessness has grown to 2,800 — an increase of more than 1,200 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, there are 671 overnight shelter beds, but the city projects that 1,200 Edmontonians will need emergency accommodations throughout the winter. Other residents experiencing homelessness are considered to be “provisionally accommodated,” meaning they have found other places to stay and don’t require emergency shelters.
Additional funding requests to reopen three south-side shelters operated by the Mustard Seed and to extend the Spectrum Building shelter on the Northlands grounds throughout the winter are currently in front of the province, but that would only increase capacity to 853 beds.
To address the gap, Sohi said he has asked Premier Jason Kenney to provide the dollars needed to open a 24-7 shelter at Commonwealth Stadium, which would provide up to 150 additional spaces.
“As it stands, I am concerned that we won’t have enough shelter space to provide a warm space for people during the cold winter months,” Sohi told reporters. “My first meeting with the premier was very productive and I brought this issue up with him. There are currently applications in place to increase the capacity but those applications would still not be enough. If they made the funding available to us, we could work with them to open up Commonwealth Stadium.”
There is no timeline for a response from the Alberta government, Sohi said, noting he will be meeting with Community and Social Services Minister Jason Luan to further push the proposal and call for support. If the province doesn’t provide dollars for the Commonwealth shelter, Sohi said the city would unlikely be able to step up and do so on its own with its tight fiscal situation.
“I’m optimistic at this time that we will be able to secure that funding from the province. If that funding is not available, I don’t know what the solutions are going to be. As we all know, city finances are very limited, these are the responsibilities of the provincial government and I’m very optimistic it will be able to fulfil those obligations,” he said.
In a statement to Postmedia, Community and Social Services spokesman Justin Marshall said the province is working with the city and shelter providers regarding concerns about capacity and there will be more details on additional supports next week.
Dedicated day shelter space has also decreased by 56 per cent since last winter and may be further reduced in the new year if funding isn’t renewed for the three day-use sites currently being paid for by the city. The programs were set to end at the end of October, but city manager Andre Corbould extended the agreements until the end of the year with an additional $1.6 million. But to extend the three day-use shelters beyond 2021, additional agreements would need to be made during council’s budget discussions later this month.
Director of affordable housing and homelessness Christel Kjenner said the city is doing everything it can to ensure there is enough space for residents experiencing homelessness while also working with partners to secure permanent housing options.
“I’m concerned that the sector won’t have the capacity to meet the demand unless the province steps up with additional funding to open additional shelter beds,” she said in an interview with Postmedia. “Although there is a significant challenge, we have been having really positive discussions and throughout the course of the pandemic we’ve worked with the province to put together our resources and figure out a way to make sure everyone’s needs are met and I have no reason to believe that won’t happen again. But there’s just a series of decisions that need to be made.”
Supportive housing
The city is also continuing to support the long-term needs of residents experiencing homelessness through the addition of permanent, supportive housing sites. Five sites that were targeted for completion by the end of the year have been delayed as a result of supply chain disruptions with occupancy now expected next spring.
Two hotels are also slated to be converted into supportive housing developments through the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative. Niginan Housing Ventures plans to turn the former Sands Hotel on Fort Road into a 53-unit housing development with a focus on providing supports for Indigenous people, including 15 sites dedicated to women.
The Mustard Seed plans to convert the Days Inn on University Avenue into a housing development with a minimum of 72 units. The projects are expected to cost a total of $21.6 million, with $6.7 million being supplied by the city.
Council’s executive committee will debate the reports and determine next steps on Tuesday.
duscook@postmedia.com
twitter.com/dustin_cook3
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is calling on the province to fund an additional 24-7 shelter at Commonwealth Stadium for the winter to address an anticipated 350-bed gap in overnight shelter capacity.
Sohi addressed media Friday afternoon about his request, days after the city released a report on the its homeless response outlining “a significant gap in services” if more shelter spaces aren’t added. Shelter beds have been reduced by about 35 per cent compared to last winter, but the number of residents experiencing homelessness has grown to 2,800 — an increase of more than 1,200 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, there are 671 overnight shelter beds, but the city projects that 1,200 Edmontonians will need emergency accommodations throughout the winter. Other residents experiencing homelessness are considered to be “provisionally accommodated,” meaning they have found other places to stay and don’t require emergency shelters.
Additional funding requests to reopen three south-side shelters operated by the Mustard Seed and to extend the Spectrum Building shelter on the Northlands grounds throughout the winter are currently in front of the province, but that would only increase capacity to 853 beds.
To address the gap, Sohi said he has asked Premier Jason Kenney to provide the dollars needed to open a 24-7 shelter at Commonwealth Stadium, which would provide up to 150 additional spaces.
“As it stands, I am concerned that we won’t have enough shelter space to provide a warm space for people during the cold winter months,” Sohi told reporters. “My first meeting with the premier was very productive and I brought this issue up with him. There are currently applications in place to increase the capacity but those applications would still not be enough. If they made the funding available to us, we could work with them to open up Commonwealth Stadium.”
There is no timeline for a response from the Alberta government, Sohi said, noting he will be meeting with Community and Social Services Minister Jason Luan to further push the proposal and call for support. If the province doesn’t provide dollars for the Commonwealth shelter, Sohi said the city would unlikely be able to step up and do so on its own with its tight fiscal situation.
“I’m optimistic at this time that we will be able to secure that funding from the province. If that funding is not available, I don’t know what the solutions are going to be. As we all know, city finances are very limited, these are the responsibilities of the provincial government and I’m very optimistic it will be able to fulfil those obligations,” he said.
In a statement to Postmedia, Community and Social Services spokesman Justin Marshall said the province is working with the city and shelter providers regarding concerns about capacity and there will be more details on additional supports next week.
Dedicated day shelter space has also decreased by 56 per cent since last winter and may be further reduced in the new year if funding isn’t renewed for the three day-use sites currently being paid for by the city. The programs were set to end at the end of October, but city manager Andre Corbould extended the agreements until the end of the year with an additional $1.6 million. But to extend the three day-use shelters beyond 2021, additional agreements would need to be made during council’s budget discussions later this month.
Director of affordable housing and homelessness Christel Kjenner said the city is doing everything it can to ensure there is enough space for residents experiencing homelessness while also working with partners to secure permanent housing options.
“I’m concerned that the sector won’t have the capacity to meet the demand unless the province steps up with additional funding to open additional shelter beds,” she said in an interview with Postmedia. “Although there is a significant challenge, we have been having really positive discussions and throughout the course of the pandemic we’ve worked with the province to put together our resources and figure out a way to make sure everyone’s needs are met and I have no reason to believe that won’t happen again. But there’s just a series of decisions that need to be made.”
Supportive housing
The city is also continuing to support the long-term needs of residents experiencing homelessness through the addition of permanent, supportive housing sites. Five sites that were targeted for completion by the end of the year have been delayed as a result of supply chain disruptions with occupancy now expected next spring.
Two hotels are also slated to be converted into supportive housing developments through the federal government’s Rapid Housing Initiative. Niginan Housing Ventures plans to turn the former Sands Hotel on Fort Road into a 53-unit housing development with a focus on providing supports for Indigenous people, including 15 sites dedicated to women.
The Mustard Seed plans to convert the Days Inn on University Avenue into a housing development with a minimum of 72 units. The projects are expected to cost a total of $21.6 million, with $6.7 million being supplied by the city.
Council’s executive committee will debate the reports and determine next steps on Tuesday.
duscook@postmedia.com
twitter.com/dustin_cook3
No comments:
Post a Comment