Nixon reiterates Edmonton’s shelters are ‘under capacity and not turning people away’

Alberta’s social services minister is reiterating the province’s claims that Edmonton’s shelters are not turning people away, while the city’s mayor maintains the system is at a breaking point.

In a post on X Saturday afternoon, Minister Jason Nixon wrote “shelters in Edmonton are currently under-capacity and not turning people away.”

Nixon adds, as of Friday night, “there are 1,771 shelter spaces open in Edmonton and provincially funded spaces in Edmonton were at 72% capacity.”

The Alberta government has continued to share figures showing the shelter system is below capacity.

But Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says the system is at its limit and he plans to declare a housing and homelessness emergency at a special city council meeting Monday.

On Friday, Nixon said it was “dangerous” for the mayor to suggest that vulnerable people have nowhere to turn.

“This is false and will lead to more folks choosing not to seek out shelter because they fear they’ll be turned away,” Nixon said.

The minister added Edmonton has “more than enough room” for every homeless person to have a safe place to stay.

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“Our department watches shelter utilization numbers on a daily basis and if capacity becomes an issue, our government would take immediate action to make sure people are not turned away,” Nixon’s press secretary Heather Barlow told CityNews earlier this month.

This week, the City of Edmonton and police dismantled the last of eight homeless encampments deemed to be “high risk.”

The Alberta NDP has been calling on the provincial government to provide daily updates on progress made by the province to provide safe spaces for those impacted.