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By rdnewsNOW Staff

10,000 RESIDENTS AIDED

Government of Alberta reports successful first year of Navigation and Support Centres

Mar 28, 2025 | 4:56 PM

After just over one year of existence, Alberta’s Navigation and Support Centres have helped more than 10,000 residents access supports and services, the government reports.

Navigation and Support Centres act as a one-stop shop for vulnerable residents to access a wide range of supports in one place, including financial aid, health services, housing supports and more.

The first centre opened just over one year ago, and the government is pleased to report that since then, more than 10,000 unique individuals have accessed its services.

“We won’t turn our backs on the most vulnerable. Our goal is to get vulnerable people into much safer environments where they can access a range of supports and that’s why we created the Navigation and Support Centres,” commented Premier Danielle Smith. “By offering a centralized place for vulnerable Albertans to access numerous services and supports, we have helped thousands of vulnerable Albertans receive the help they need, more easily.”

The Government of Alberta opened Edmonton’s Navigation and Support Centre in January 2024. As the municipality and the province removed high-risk encampments in the city, the government says those leaving were connected to the centre and its resources.

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“As a sober living service provider in Edmonton, we are very appreciative of the Navigation and Support Centre for being the innovative response to our community’s most vulnerable,” shared Stephen Syskakis, Executive Director, 8 Pillars Recovery Foundation. “The spectrum of supports and services available to be accessed in one location was something our community really needed.”

The success seen in Edmonton led to it becoming a permanent fixture, and to the opening of a second centre in Calgary.

According to the province, as of March 27, 2025, the two centres have provided over 45,000 connections or referrals to services, including:

• More than 4,460 connections to emergency shelter spaces and housing programs such as transitional and supportive housing, affordable housing, and rent supplements.
• Almost 9,700 identification cards issued by Service Alberta.
• More than 8,950 connections to employment and financial services, including Income Support and AISH.
• More than 2,090 connections to cultural supports provided by local Indigenous organizations.
• More than 3,450 connections to health and medical supports.
• More than 4,038 connections to mental health and addiction services.

“I am pleased to see that so many lives have been positively affected by the navigation and support centres. This approach is clearly working, proving to be an effective way of connecting vulnerable people with the help they need. Alberta’s innovative approach to addressing homelessness has raised the bar across Canada, and other jurisdictions are taking note of our success,” said Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services.

Alberta representatives add, some centre users found them so helpful, they returned multiple times to access services, or brought in others they know that needed assistance.

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