In a special meeting, council approved $587,000 of the Outreach and Support Services Initiative surplus funds to be allocated for a six-month transitional housing project to reduce the inflow of individuals at temporary shelters. (Dreamtime photo)

By Alessia Proietti

Special Council Meeting: Monday Jan. 10

Transitional housing: council approves pilot project to reduce shelter usage

Jan 10, 2022 | 6:03 PM

In a special meeting on Monday, all members of council approved a six-month immediate transitional housing pilot project, aimed at reducing the inflow to shelters by increasing the shift to permanent homes.

As per the Dec. 1, 2021 motion to create a diversion plan reducing the numbers accessing emergency housing services, council approved the allocation of $587,000 in surplus funds from the provincial Outreach and Support Services Initiative (OSSI) for the project. With an annual budget of $3.835 million, the remaining OSSI funds would need to have been utilized by March 31, 2022.

The goal for the project is to transition 35 shelter stayers into homes.

For Mayor Johnston, having a home is the first step towards personal progress and healing.

“It is about dignity and it is about purpose and that’s the core of housing,” said Mayor Johnston. ”Here, of course, we have two wonderful initiatives. One: to divert from shelter usage which is underway. The other: to migrate to transitional housing which we have now decided to fund.”

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With two diversion workers already in place at the Mustard Seed and Safe Harbour since November 2021, the funding would continue their initiatives with a focus on self-resolution for individuals who are capable of eventually supporting themselves.

Over the past 10 years, 70 per cent of individuals used shelters for less than 30 days in a year, and only four per cent spent more than 180 days.

“What was presented today was looking at new diversionary tactics that would primarily focus on the ability of individuals to self-resolve, so that would be individuals that don’t require long-term case management supports,” said Ryan Veldkamp, Housing & Homelessness Supports Supervisor, who referenced the successful transitional housing program used in Calgary.

The project allows diversion workers to continue helping the transition financially by assisting with move-in costs, utility deposits, security deposits and paying first-months rents. Workers also create a housing plan by looking for appropriate market housing so overall returns to homelessness are less than 15 per cent.

For the outflow of individuals from temporary shelters, one issue noticed was the city’s unmet demand for permanent supportive housing (PSH) for chronic homeless individuals caused by a myriad of complexities such as addictions and mental illness.

The Community Housing and Homelessness Integrated Plan (CHHIP) cited a need for 139 spaces, with the city currently having 62 spaces available from the Amethyst and the Pathways to Housing program.

As the City estimates costs could reach $210,000 per PSH unit in 2022, council supported the Housing and Homelessness Integrated Committee in their acceleration to develop permanent supportive housing by exploring the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and inquiring to higher governments for funding.

Council will also advocate to the Government of Alberta Ministries of Community and Social Services & Seniors and Housing for aid in increasing the city’s PSH units.

Councillor Vesna Higham, in support of the pilot project, believes it will add to this year’s other initiatives like the Dream Centre expected to open this quarter, a 75-bed Residential Treatment Centre expected to open this Fall, and the future permanent shelter.

“To address these social issues of crime, social disorder, addictions, homelessness, mental health issues, these issues that have been so prevalent in our community for so long, at least for the last five, six years; I’m encouraged today because I see that these critical pieces are starting to fall into place,” she said.

Lastly, council also supported administration to consider “Integrated Access” as a top priority for 2022. The focus is on ensuring individuals receive timely access to other necessary supports and services for a holistic transitional approach including justice, mental health, drug addiction support, education, and income.

Councillor Dianne Wyntjes hopes the project will not only help reduce shelter usage but also assist the downtown business community.

“It’s important that we’re talking about the little successes that we are having at changing the narrative for our city and for the downtown,” she said.