Edmonton’s mayor says the city’s homeless situation has reached a breaking point, so he is seeking to declare an emergency and hold a meeting with other levels of government.
Amarjeet Sohi said in a news release Thursday he will call a special meeting of city council on Monday, Jan. 15 where he will motion to declare a housing and homelessness emergency in the city of Edmonton.
“Edmonton, we are at a breaking point,’ the mayor said in a blog post that accompanied the news release.
“I hear your calls to change how we are handling encampments, caring for our unhoused neighbours and improving the safety of communities impacted by encampments.”
Sohi said he’s heard the recent actions at encampment clearances may not be in line with the city’s commitments to upholding reconciliation, and its obligation of care in communities across the city.
“While members of the social sector, EPS and city administration suggested important changes to the high risk encampment response in their December meeting, it is clear more changes are needed,” the news release said.
Over the past two weeks, Edmonton police and city crews have worked to dismantle eight homeless camps deemed to be high risk, either because of gang activity, drug use, fire risk, how long the camp has existed or other factors.
Hundreds of needles and propane tanks have been recovered and thousands of kilograms of garbage hauled away. Several dozen people were displaced, according to numbers from City of Edmonton news releases issued after the closures.
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Encampments are a symptom of systemic issues, the mayor said, noting the city’s homeless population has doubled since 2019 and exceeds the capacity of the social system.
There’s approximately 3,000 homeless people in Edmonton and nearly 60 per cent are Indigenous, according to data tracked by social agency Homeward Trust.
Sohi said there’s now a bottleneck that has increased the wait to get help through the Housing First program.
“Over the past three years, we have been building from an urgent issue to an emergency.
“The system is at a breaking point. That is why I have called a special meeting of City Council on January 15th where I will motion to declare a housing and houselessness emergency in the City of Edmonton.”
Sohi said if city council approves his emergency declaration next week, his first action will be to hold an emergency meeting with other levels of government.
Specifically, he will invite provincial Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon, federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser, and Cody Thomas, the Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6.
Municipalities are the first line of response to encampments, but Sohi said the city can’t meet the complex housing and public health crises growing in the community alone.
Sohi has been calling for additional provincial actions on this issue for years.
“Without other levels of government coming to the table to do their part and invest in affordable housing with wrap-around services, Edmonton will continue seeing encampments and residents without housing,” the news release said.
Earlier this week, the Alberta government noted 150 new Indigenous-led emergency shelter spaces are opening in northeast Edmonton.
Niginan Housing Ventures received $3 million in funding to operate up to 100 emergency shelter spaces at Pimatisiwin (the former Sands Hotel), and $2.3 million was given to Enoch Cree Nation to operate up to 100 emergency shelter spaces at Maskokamik (located in the former Coliseum Inn.)
The mayor’s blog acknowledged the province has taken steps to help address the issue. Sohi said he was heartened by the work Nixon has done “to address the longstanding issue of equity in funding for shelter spaces between Calgary and Edmonton,” adding the ministry has worked with the city to add capacity in areas of critical need, such as Indigenous-led and women’s shelters.
“I am confident that the minister understands our issues and I am hopeful that this declaration will offer him the license he needs to get his cabinet colleagues’ support to take immediate action.”
Sohi’s statement said he hopes by bringing all levels of government to the table with urgency, and by continuing to partner with service providers, government can rebuild the system to the levels Edmontonians expect.
Global News has reached out to Nixon’s office to see if he will attend the meeting, if the declaration is passed. This story will be updated if a response is received.
— More to come…
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