$70M announced to address the housing crisis in Edmonton
Collaborative leadership continues to forge the way forward.
Last weekend, after nearly a year of constant advocacy, I was incredibly pleased to join the Premier while he announced the substantial housing and health funding that Edmontonians need.
Our collaborative relationship with the provincial government is making life better for Edmontonians struggling with houselessness, substance use disorder, mental health crises, poverty and intergenerational trauma.
The announcement was a pivotal moment for our city.
In our last meeting in Calgary, Premier Kenney jokingly described me as being “persistently annoying” with my endless advocacy for social equity initiatives in Edmonton, and with this announcement, it all paid off.
The Government of Alberta has committed $70 million towards ensuring that Edmonton’s unhoused and struggling folks have improved access to services that support their wellbeing.
The significant investments announced will support a number of important initiatives and also help close the funding gap between Edmonton and Calgary to support Edmonton’s houseless folks.
Some highlights of this announcement include:
- Funding for an additional 450 shelter spaces.
- Funding to keep provincially funded shelters open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with wraparound and recovery services available on-site.
- An additional $12M for health-related services in supportive housing units.
- Building and running a 75-bed treatment and recovery facility for people facing addictions.
- Piloting a service hub model that provides wraparound services at local shelters, harm reduction, and opportunities to collaborate with police and healthcare providers.
- An enhanced discharging plan before people are released from correctional facilities.
These investments show that our approach is working. This is a breakthrough that we have been waiting for, and I am eager to keep the momentum going.
I want to thank the many organizations who advocated to the province on our behalf from community league leaders, to the business community, to Chinatown stakeholders, to the many other invested Edmontonians who took time out of their busy schedules to write a letter or make a call. Your advocacy made this happen, and this is a win for all of us.
I also must thank Premier Jason Kenney, Minister Luan and Minister Ellis and Minister Madu for their openness, for meeting with me so many times, and for listening to our concerns. Other thank yous are in order for our City Manager Andre Corbould for his ongoing support, chief Dale McFee for serving on the Homelessness Task Force, and to my Council colleagues for taking a united front and vested interest into addressing the housing crisis in Edmonton.
The advocacy does not end here, and we will continue to pursue innovative ways to meet the housing needs of everyone in our city.
Together, we are building an Edmonton for all of us.
