Mixed reviews on Edmonton council’s $1M day shelter decision

Edmonton city council has voted to spend $1 million on day-shelter space for the homeless. CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports.

Those who work with homeless populations in Edmonton say they have mixed feelings about city council’s recent unanimous decision to allocate $1 million toward day shelter spaces.

Mayor Andrew Knack’s first motion post-election was done without typical notice to address the growing need for giving vulnerable people a place to stay as the weather gets colder.

Knack’s goal, he said, was to both increase shelter space capacity and keep day shelters open 24 hours for full-time access.

The province, in turn, argued that shelters in Edmonton are properly budgeted to meet capacity.

For those who work in homeless-serving roles, the reviews are mixed.

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Keri Cardinal, the CEO of Indigenous-led shelter Niginan Housing Ventures, said the temporary shelter model isn’t and shouldn’t be the only solution to keeping people safe during the winter.

“At the end of the day, folks that are on the street have extreme, complex needs, and there’s no one solution for any of them,” she told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.

“You don’t really know what those solutions are until you build those relationships with people and get to know them and find out what their needs are,” she added. “Are you able to do that in a day shelter project? I’m not sure.”

She and her group advocate for a housing-first initiative with wraparound social supports.

Space capacity vs. social need

There are currently 15 provincially-funded locations that offer day shelter service in the city – any shelter using Alberta government funding is required to stay open 24/7.

The only times a gap in service might happen are during a surge, where shelters are operating at peak capacity. People staying in overflow spaces may need to leave briefly in the mornings for daytime cleanup of mats.

In most shelters in the city, beds will fill up quickly by November, and despite additional mats and surge spaces, many shelters still say they’re turning people away.

Shelters like Hope Mission told CTV News Edmonton those who aren’t in beds are welcome to come back after cleanup in a drop-in capacity.

Mark Cherrington with the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights says despite the complex issues at hand, city council’s move to support shelters still “shows some good leadership.”

“I think it sends a message that …. we’re looking at dealing with the systemic issues, not just hiring more cops right out of the starting gate, but looking at ways to put in some protective factors in people’s lives,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

He added that how shelters interpret extra day shelter support varies, as it could simply mean an extra mat on the floor and a place to warm up.

“Or it could be a sort of wraparound service side of a model, where you could have addiction workers, social workers, employment counsellors, mental health therapists, people trying to get practical things that people on the streets need,” he explained. “Like access to ID, opportunities to find more permanent housing.”

Those supports, he said, would address rising concerns of social disorder from businesses in the city.

Part of city shelter funding success, Cherrington said, should be measured by how many people want to come to it in times of need.

“If it’s comfortable, people feel safe inside, people feel wanted …. They have an opportunity to deal with some of the systemic issues.”

The City of Edmonton has said staff are currently consulting social agencies to determine what’s feasible for shelter spaces on short notice.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson and Stephanie Holmes