Homelessness in Lethbridge drops for the first time in more than a decade

Fewer people appear to be sleeping on the streets in Lethbridge, according to the city's latest point-in-time count.

A new report shows fewer people appear to be sleeping on the streets in Lethbridge.

The 2025 point-in-time count shows the first drop in more than 10 years.

On Oct. 2, 2025, 504 people in Lethbridge were found to be experiencing some level of homelessness.

That’s down three per cent from 522 people in 2024.

“Of course, with the three per cent reduction, it is still a small reduction. But we are paying more attention to that trend that we have seen in our community. So going back a couple of years, we’re starting to see that flatten out, and we’re now seeing a reduction,” said Andrew Malcolm, general manager of community social development with the City of Lethbridge.

This is the first time Lethbridge has seen its homeless population decline since 2014.

It could be a sign that some city-led initiatives are working.

“(It) shows us that things are moving in the right direction for our community, and we will continue to focus on this area and support the community. … We’re hopeful that this trend can continue year over year,” said Malcolm.

There was a 252 per cent increase in people accessing treatment facilities.

That suggests more people are looking for addiction recovery support.

Transitional housing capacity also grew 113 per cent, with 27 per cent more people using those spaces.

“I think it’s really taken a community effort, not just us as a municipality, but also our partners that we work with. We’ve all put in a lot of effort, and we will continue to do so,” said Allison Sherry, community safety specialist.

The city will look at new ways to get more residents off the street and into safe housing.

“We want to ensure that there is diversity for every individual that’s experiencing homelessness or vulnerability or whatever it may be. We know that one approach to one person might not be the best. So, we want to ensure that that’s balanced,” said Sherry.

A new community safety action plan addressing safety, well-being and social disorder will be introduced in the coming months.