Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness On Track

April 25, 2013

2,325 People Off the Streets and In Homes

Edmonton’s Homeless Commission has released its Year 4 Update, and the results show real progress in meeting the goals of Edmonton’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness:

• 1,664 permanent homes have been secured for 2,325 people who were homeless – most of which are in the private rental market in buildings across the city.
• 86% of the people housed received the help they needed and held on to their housing successfully.
• The October 2012 Homeless Count, conducted by Homeward Trust volunteers, found 2,147 homeless Edmontonians – 29% fewer than the 2008 count, which was carried out just prior to the launch of the Plan to End Homelessness.
• Government of Alberta funding for homeless supports continued to rise.

Mayor Stephen Mandel congratulates all the partners working together to address housing and support needs in the progress that has been made. “But,” he adds, “we need to intensify our efforts if we are to end chronic homelessness by 2019. There are still 2,147 people who are homeless in this city. And of those, 13% are children and youth. That’s an unacceptable number of kids who don’t have the basic necessity in life of a permanent, secure home.”

The Year 4 Update identifies other hurdles that must be overcome as we move into Year 5 of implementing the Plan to End Homelessness:

• Capital funding is needed to build permanent supportive housing for people with intensive needs.
• The rental market in Edmonton is tightening as vacancy rates drop and rents rise.
• The Housing First teams are working at full capacity and have limited space for new clients.
• A greater focus on prevention is necessary to reduce the numbers of people falling into homelessness.

Hal Danchilla is the Chair of the Edmonton Homeless Commission. Danchilla says that the Commission’s job is, “to ensure that everyone fully understands the importance of ending homelessness as we begin the hard work tackling these barriers. Ending homelessness is not just the right thing to do – it also makes economic sense. Each chronic homeless person costs the tax payer around $100,000 on the streets, but $30,000 or less to house and support.”

For more details on the Plan to End Homelessness, and a copy of the Year 4 Update, please visit Edmonton Homeless Commission.

For more information:

Hal Danchilla
Title Chair, Edmonton’s Homeless Commission
Telephone  780-975-4462

Jim Taylor
Title Vice-chair, Edmonton’s Homeless Commission
Telephone  780-424-4085

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