By Josh Hall

pandemic presents added challenges

Resources available for Red Deer’s homeless

Jan 8, 2021 | 4:44 PM

People who are homeless in Red Deer are being encouraged to take advantage of local resources.

Bredin Centre for Career Advancement and the Red Deer Native Friendship Society both offer assistance, and are partially funded by The City of Red Deer.

The organizations provide services such as emergency housing funding, partial utility or security deposits, one-time rent or utility arrears assistance, moving expenses, limited furniture/household items, assistance with finding housing, assistance with income support applications, connection to other community supports, and cultural supports.

They say these resources are meant to provide individualized supports to improve self-sufficiency of single people and families.

“As a result of the pandemic, an increased number of individuals are at risk of, or are experiencing homelessness for the first time, and we want them to know help is available through these two local organizations,” says Ryan Veldkamp, Housing and Homelessness Supports Supervisor.

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“The City’s goal is to assist these organizations in connecting with vulnerable individuals and families to provide support and guidance before they become chronically homeless.”

The City of Red Deer last conducted a Point in Time (PIT) Homeless Count in 2018, which counted 144 people, 55 per cent of whom were deemed chronically homeless.

In 2016, the count found 149 people, and in 2014, 137 people were tallied.

In her year-end interview last month, Mayor Tara Veer was asked about The City’s objectives on this matter, which were written into a 2014-2018 plan entitled ‘Everyone’s Home: Red Deer’s Five Year Plan to End Homelessness.’

A new plan was introduced in 2019 which noted that The City had just $27 million of the $275 million necessary to achieve the goal of ending homelessness. Veer said progress was made in 2020, but as much as they’d initially hoped.

“COVID has had a significant impact on this file as it has caused some implementation delays for our shelter planning and integrated housing strategy due to the urgent need to temporarily reprioritize our social infrastructure and staffing resources for vulnerable citizens in response to the pandemic,” Veer explained.

“Having said this, we are making headway on our shelter discussions with the Province and the affordable housing portfolio has been rescheduled for Q1 and Q2 on Council’s work plan in 2021, so we will be making up for the time lost in 2020 due to COVID in short order.”

Veldkamp says The City had a Point in Time count planned for 2020, but it was postponed because of the pandemic. There are still hopes to do counts in spring 2021 if the 7 Cities can determine a way to do them safely.

Veldkamp shares that from April 1 to Dec. 31, 2020, 30 people experiencing homelessness for the first time or the prospect of being homeless for the first time attended the Red Deer Native Friendship Society for assistance, while 82 visited Bredin.

The City also achieved its first ‘Quality By-Name List’ in February last year, which is part of a partnership it established in 2015 with Built for Zero Canada.

Utilizing partnerships with local agencies such as Safe Harbour, Mustard Seed and others, The City has been able to maintain track of roughly how many people are experiencing chronic homelessness in Red Deer. As of Oct. 2020, the list shows 97 people under that category.

Veldkamp explains that a PIT count still has significant value because of the questionnaire that goes along with it, which enables The City to get a more detailed picture of how homelessness looks in Red Deer.