Edmonton considers city-run homeless encampments

Edmonton is considering a pilot to manage encampments this summer, as part of its effort to address homelessness in Edmonton.

By Laura Krause

Edmonton is considering city-managed encampments this summer, as part of its efforts to address homelessness in Edmonton. In an 11-2 vote Monday, city council voted to prepare a report on small-scale encampments which will evaluate different options and costs for managed encampments.

“It isn’t even close to a perfect solution. For me, the crisis is so urgent we need to be trying as many different things as we can. I think that there is a potential for this to make lives better for a small number of people in our community and it’s worth pursuing on that basis,” says councillor Anne Stevenson, who pitched the idea.

Stevenson says the camp will be much smaller than Camp Pekiwewin, which popped up in 2020. The small-scale encampments will have five to ten tents. The goal would be to connect those in the camps with services and get them into supportive housing.

On Monday, the Alberta government approved the transfer of land with a historic cemetery back to Enoch Cree Nation. In a ceremony, Chief Billy Morin said “The next acquisition I would like to see, again, my mind goes to Pekiwewin, and the housing supports that are needed in the city. Housing supports not just housing supports for Indigenous Peoples but for all peoples.”

Chief Billy Morin of Enoch Cree Nation hopes to see better housing support in the city and is looking at how there is an opportunity with urban reserves for culturally accessible housing.

According to homeward trust, 58 per cent of those experiencing homelessness in Edmonton are Indigenous.

“It’s not just for us, Enoch Cree Nation, Urban reserve is for all other First Nations, who want to access land, and access jobs, and take care of their people with housing, overcome poverty like Pekiwewin. We can solve that with thinking ahead. By doing what other jurisdictions do, but within the city of Edmonton,” he says.

Councillor Sarah Hamilton says “When we talk affordable housing, it’s one or two bedrooms. For some families, whether they are newcomers or Indigenous families, they have multiple generations living with them and the housing doesn’t reflect them.”

Edmonton’s homeless population nearly doubled since the start of the pandemic. Tackling homelessness has been a big focus for council. The report with different options and costs for a managed encampment will be due to council on July 4th.

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