My reaction to the 2023 Provincial Budget
Many promises were kept, but more immediate action is needed for our most pressing issues.
This provincial budget kept many promises of the past UCP government: the investment to support the Yellowhead Freeway expansion, Terwillegar Drive, 50 ST rail crossing, a new hospital in South Edmonton, as well as new investments to expand MacEwan University’s business campus. While these investments are welcomed, I am concerned that this budget did not address Edmontonians’ immediate concerns including houselessness, drug poisonings, and Downtown and Chinatown revitalization.
This budget left me feeling that the province still does not fully grasp the level of immediate crisis that Edmonton is experiencing when it comes to houselessness, the poisoned drug supply crisis, and its impact on Downtown, Chinatown and other business districts.
We have sent several letters, and have engaged with many Ministers to advocate for data-based interventions that would meaningfully address these provincial responsibilities. I will use my first meeting with the Premier to highlight Edmonton’s short and long-term needs that went unaddressed in this budget.
Key investments, and what we hope to receive in the future:
I have made housing issues a top priority since being elected. Additional funding for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program (~$150M) allocated in this budget is good news. We wait for more details on how much of the funding will be allocated to Edmonton.
- Currently, 1 in 7 households in Edmonton spends more than 30% of their income in housing.
- Currently, 2,815 of our community members are unhoused; 57% of whom are Indigenous.
The City of Edmonton’s ‘Housing First’ approach has led to significant progress in ending houselessness, with more than 15,000 people housed in Edmonton since 2009. By working with other orders of government to fund affordable housing and homeless prevention, Edmonton can get the most out of our $125M in newly approved City funding to build and renew more housing units.
The increase in shelter funding in this budget is a step in the right direction, and I look forward to learning more about how this will impact Edmonton’s shelter needs. However, I would have liked to see investments fulfill our ask for funding to create additional permanent 24/7 shelter beds to meet the target of 1250 spaces. Emergency shelters are fully in the jurisdiction of the Province, and I plan to ask Premier Smith to provide additional funding to Edmonton’s shelter providers to implement the City’s Minimum Emergency Shelter Standards.
We also did not see enough meaningful focused support for vibrancy in our Downtown, Chinatown, and other business districts. Since becoming Mayor, I have worked with all levels of government to ensure that the heart of our city is supported with investments in safety, economic revitalization, tourism, and transportation. I am encouraged by the investments in some of our downtown buildings like the Citadel Theatre and MacEwan University, and welcome the increased foot traffic and vibrancy those projects will bring.
I am eager to collaborate with the provincial government and Premier Smith to address housing, community safety and well-being, affordability, and business revitalization. Together, we can find solutions to many of these pressing issues that affect the quality of life for Edmontonians as we build an Edmonton for all of us.
