Enhanced Provincial and Municipal Homelessness Response
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association urge the Province of Alberta:
• continue to work collaboratively with local communities and organizations toward long-term strategies;
• focus additional resources and strategies toward enhanced assertive supports for people declining access to housing first supports; and
• target additional resources for emergency response strategies, including day supports, necessary to address the needs of Alberta’s entrenched in street homelessness.
WHEREAS the Province of Alberta has a plan for Alberta to end homelessness in ten years;
WHEREAS Alberta’s plan to end homelessness is grounded in the philosophy of rapid re-housing using a housing first approach;
WHEREAS Alberta is recognized nationally and internationally for its collaborative, inter-governmental and inter-agency approach in delivering supports and services for Alberta’s homeless population;
WHEREAS the housing first approach is proving to be an effective and efficient method of supporting homeless Albertans;
WHEREAS Alberta’s local communities are on the front lines of homelessness;
WHEREAS the housing first approach is still leaving some Albertans without supports due to their complex needs;
WHEREAS enhanced assertive approaches are required to address the immediate and long-term needs of homeless Albertans declining access to housing first supports; and
WHEREAS additional emergency response supports are necessary to address front line issues continuing to play out on the streets of Alberta communities.
I commend AUMA’s advocacy for an enhanced and integrated response to homelessness. I am pleased that your resolution aligns with our government’s ongoing commitment and prioritization of addressing housing and homelessness.
As you know, Budget 2016 includes additional funding for homeless supports bringing total investment in this area to more than $127 million annually. In addition, through the Ministry of Seniors and Housing, government has committed $1.1 billion over five years for affordable, social and supportive housing including new construction and critical maintenance — the first significant investment in this area.
Despite these investments, we know that there is much more work to do to combat homelessness in Alberta. That is why my ministry will continue to work closely with municipalities, stakeholders and organizations, including AUMA and the Alberta Rural Development Network, to forge new and leverage current partnerships. These partnerships strive to find new and better ways to deliver needed and sustainable housing and supports to rural and urban Albertans.
AUMA is monitoring the $3.4 million increase in provincial funding for homeless and outreach support services in 2016, which brings annual funding to $127 million. In addition, we are aware that $1.1 billion will be provided over five years for affordable, social, and supportive housing.
The province’s actions are supported by some parallel actions from the federal government. For example, the 2016 federal budget included a $111.8 million increase over two years for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, and the doubling of current federal funding under the Investment in Affordable Housing to $504.4 million over the next two years. As well, the federal government announced an 18-year agreement to provide annual funding to Alberta to support existing social housing units. In the first year of the agreement, the federal government will pay close to $90 million to support approximately 29,000 households in Alberta.