Will there be enough shelter beds for vulnerable Edmontonians before first cold snap?

As colder weather approaches, Edmonton’s mayor and city council hope to see the province deliver on increased shelter spaces

By News Staff

Posted October 4, 2023 4:33 pm.

Last Updated October 4, 2023 7:04 pm.

With the colder weather starting to roll in, many are wondering if there will be enough shelter beds for the city’s most vulnerable.

The province committed to ensuring the availability of more than 1,700 shelter beds in Edmonton this winter.

The City of Edmonton says it’s been working with provincial officials to increase shelter capacity.

“November 1 is the target date,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “What I know is that things are going in the right direction.”

Close to 800 shelters spaces already opened by the end of September, and the City of Edmonton is hopeful the number of available shelter beds will continue to go up.

“It’s a significant increase from what we had to what we will now,” said Sohi.

More than 3,000 people are believed to be homeless in Edmonton.

“Alberta’s government provided $22 million in Budget 2023 to Edmonton homelessness responses, which supports 777 permanent shelter spaces and 300 longer-term supportive spaces – all available 24/7,” the province told CityNews in an emailed statement.

“For the winter season, 1727 shelter spaces will be available in Edmonton.”

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Coun. Andrew Knack has some questions about the plan. He’s wondering where the shelters will be and how many beds will remain after the cold weather passes – as only 300 of the provincial spots are permanent.

Knack says he’s been noticing a growing number of encampments outside the downtown core, like in the West End.

“I think the biggest thing that’s still lacking on the provincial side is they’ve announced some of the spaces that are only meant to be winter temporary spaces,” said the councillor for Nakota Isga Ward. “They haven’t necessarily committed to 450 of those temporary spaces turning into permanent.”

Ultimately Knack says the city still needs permanent homes for these individuals.

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New this year in Edmonton: a city bus will travel around the city nightly beginning Nov. 1, picking up the vulnerable at transit centres and bringing them to shelters with room. It will have an additional “extreme cold” route during cold snaps.

The initiative came after a meeting with transit leaders to get advice on how to support the homeless while keeping order on transit.

“I hope that increased shelter capacity will allow us to move people from transit centres, LRT stations into shelters, and they don’t have to seek refuge in public places where they’re forced to do so now,” said Sohi.