(Photo 148650665 © motortion | Dreamstime.com)

By Alessia Proietti

Recovery and matching

Red Deer city council hosts special meeting regarding substance use and housing supports

Mar 3, 2023 | 12:58 PM

Red Deer city council held a special meeting Thursday to discuss the current status of substance use and housing support systems in the city.

Council reviewed 651 pages of federal, provincial and municipal reports dating back to 2015 on housing, homelessness and recovery from substance use.

“The complexity has just changed so radically over the last three years that when you look at shelter needs today, they’re different than they were in 2019,” said Mayor Ken Johnston.

SUBSTANCE USE

In Red Deer, according to the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System, out of the 44 individuals who died from substances in 2021, 39 of those were from opioids and most died in their own private residence. In 2022, unintentional deaths increased in public spaces.

Prevention, Access, Recovery, and Coordination

Safe Harbour officially hands over shelter keys, establishes accessible navigation hub

10h ago

lacombe and sylvan lake

December 2025 (un)employment data released for Alberta sub-regions

11h ago

21 years with WCPS

Darcy Blum appointed principal of Lacombe Outreach School

13h ago

(Alberta Substance Use Surveillance System)

Ryan Veldkamp, the city’s Safe & Healthy Communities Supervisor, went over the province’s recovery –oriented systems of care approach towards substance use, which focuses on the individual journey.

“Working with an individual at their current state or meeting them where they’re at, that can be a trauma informed process, recognizing potential harms that have happened in their lives, respecting people’s choice, autonomy, dignity, self-determination, are all critical parts of getting buy-in and ultimately that continual personal growth,” he said.

Councillor Vesna Higham said while it is important to respect people’s choices, she questioned a recent proposal in the Fall of 2022 by the Premier of British Columbia for involuntary drug treatment for the protection of individuals and others at risk of harm due to substance abuse. She also referenced the documentary “Seattle is Dying” which discusses the successes of the model in Rhode Island state.

“I think it’s important that we not lose the context of not only individuals who suffer from substance abuse or mental health but also when we look at it, must be holistic as a community. We must look at individuals’ dignity, autonomy, ability for self-determination from the broader community perspective as well,” she said.

“What autonomy does a business have if they are continually with windows broken and they’re having to pay until they’re finally out of business because they can’t afford it anymore?

Where is the dignity in allowing people not to be afforded the opportunity of treatment whether they like it or not, whether they want it or not, whether they are at the point or not?”

The mayor said he does not believe the province will go down this route at the moment, but it is too early to tell.

HOUSING

Veldkamp reviewed data from a 2019 study showing that 12 per cent of Red Deerians were in core housing need and 2,700 people were at risk of homelessness. Over the previous decade, 2,800 people required emergency shelter and through City funding, they were able to house 1,355 people.

The study also showed that Indigenous peoples were over-represented in the numbers.

From April 2019, Veldkamp discussed how four City employees and various local organizations have been working on a national initiative by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness to achieve a goal of “functional zero” on chronic homelessness. Veldkamp said while there will always be episodic homelessness, the organizations have been using a by-names list to track on a monthly basis who is entering homelessness and who is being matched with housing.

According to the most recent data, Veldkamp says 96 individuals were listed on the City’s prioritization list as of March 1, 2023, meaning they have gone through all the processes and the City knows what type of housing is needed. He said eight were families and 13 individuals were matched with programs this Wednesday.

Of those assessed, he says 85 per cent of individuals on the list fell under the high complexity category of needs.

Veldkamp explained the City faces program and housing capacity issues. He says the City currently has roughly 50 permanent supportive housing units out of the 104 needed and that other housing types such as affordable housing are also required.

The Red Deer Housing Authority currently manages 310 housing units, with a waitlist of around 700 individuals and families, and provides rental assistance to over 580 households in central Alberta.

“We could have the perfect plan with unlimited resources and, at the end of the day, I don’t believe it would ever completely solve homelessness,” said Councillor Kraymer Barnstable. “This is such a complex situation that we’re in and there’s so much work going on behind the scenes that are trying to make it better for everyone.”

Councillor Lawrence Lee added that the presentation proved this issue requires a coordinated and collaborative approach form all levels of government and industries.

For more information on supports, visit the City’s Housing and Homelessness section on their website.