HOUSING EMERGENCY

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton has doubled since 2020 and nowhere has this been more visible than in the heart of our city. It's been clear to anyone living, working, or visiting O-day'min in recent years that we have a crisis on our hands. 

Last week, City Council had the opportunity to formalize what we all know to be true by declaring a Housing and Homelessness Emergency. I supported this action wholeheartedly. For me it was important to acknowledge the significant challenge our community faces, and to underscore the urgent need for all of our partners to come together. The status of an emergency creates an opportunity for everyone - municipal, provincial, federal and Indigenous governments, the business community, social sector, community members - to come together and turn our collective skills and resources to address this crisis.

The Emergency encompasses both the visible homelessness we see today and the more hidden gaps in housing affordability that leave us vulnerable to sudden shocks of houselessness. There are a number of key next steps to come in both of these areas.

Encampment Response

I've spoken previously about the tension that exists within the City's current encampment response. I know that many in particular have felt frustrated with the cycle of removal and relocation of encampments. One of the key reasons for this has been a lack of appropriate emergency shelter spaces or housing options for people transitioning out of encampments. 

I'm heartened that the Provincial government has committed new resources that can help break this cycle. This includes adding close to a thousand new permanently funded shelter spaces, moving us from 700 spaces to 1,700. While shelters aren't necessarily a long-term solution for individuals, they are a critical piece in addressing the current homelessness crisis in our community. It will take time for us to bring new affordable, supportive housing, and treatment spaces online. In the meantime, shelters provide a vital space to bring people in from encampments and connect them to the services they need. 

I'm also encouraged by the thoughtful approach the Province has taken to the new shelter spaces being opened. They have turned to partners like the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and NiGiNan Housing Ventures to provide Indigenous-led spaces that can help reduce barriers that people face when accessing shelters. The new spaces also include specific services for women and those with health needs, and are designed to meet minimum shelter standards. This focus on not just the quantity but quality of shelter spaces is a key piece of breaking the cycle of encampments. 

I'm also optimistic about another key resource introduced by the Province in recent weeks - a new reception centre for those leaving encampments. It provides a one-stop shop where people can access the range of services they need to go from living rough to being housed - from ID to income support to housing referrals. Having all of these resources in a single space makes it easier for people to access and ensures that people have a clear next step before moving on, whether that's connection to a shelter space, bridge housing unit, or affordable housing spot. 

Recent weeks have also highlighted the need for the City and our partners to refine our encampment response, especially as it relates to cold weather events. Striking a balance between the needs of neighbours and residents of encampments is a difficult exercise. In February, Council will be discussing this further and I look forward to exploring how we can better weigh the risks of our response and achieve more consistent and understandable outcomes. 

Housing affordability

In addition to immediate responses, we have a lot to do to ensure more people don't fall into homelessness. The City recently released our updated Affordable Housing Strategy which highlighted that 49,000 households are in core housing need. This means roughly 1 in 7 Edmonton households pay more than 30% of their income on paying rent. On our current path, this number is expected to grow to 59,000 by 2026. In addition to these statistics, there are other worrying trends that point to greater challenges ahead. Food Bank demand is at a record high. We often see people first cut back on buying food to pay their rent. As rents continue to increase, we are at greater risk of more people falling into homelessness. 

As part of our emergency declaration, Council asked City staff to come up with a list of actions that could be taken immediately to help address these pressing affordable housing needs in our community. I'm interested in exploring ideas like making more City land available for affordable housing, removing permitting fees for new affordable housing construction, and developing policies to ensure future investment earnings are prioritized for affordable housing. I look forward to mapping out additional actions on January 30th. I also look forward to hearing back from other orders of governments and the ways they feel they can support this emergency in our city.

The way ahead

I'm grateful and heartened by the dozens of people who have reached out to express their concern for the current state of Edmonton’s housing and houselessness emergency, and their desire for urgent action. Despite the challenges, I know that we can overcome this crisis in our community. We have awareness and understanding of the depth of the problem. We have solutions that work and can be scaled up. And we have countless incredible Edmontonians who are advocating for a better future for all.