Steps underway to help continue addressing homelessness in Medicine Hat

Data from 2018 from the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness says around 70 people experience homelessness in Medicine Hat at any given time, but that number could be much higher. The opioid crisis coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, struggles with mental health and inflation affecting affordability and standards of living are all contributing to the ongoing homelessness issue which, according to Secondiak, may get worse over time.

“I think it will be. We see that in other communities and cities really across North America, and Medicine Hat’s no different,” Secondiak says.

There is no reason for anyone in Medicine Hat to be sleeping outside. _{-Jaime Rogers, Manager, Community Housing Society}

Jaime Rogers, manager of homeless and housing development with the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, agrees.

“We are seeing increased numbers of people that are sleeping rough and in parks in our community, and I have to say it’s the highest I’ve seen since I’ve been here in my 12 years,” says Rogers. “Yes, absolutely it will get worse. We’ll see more people sleeping outside, we will see unfortunately I think that we will see potential loss of life coming into the fall months as well.”

City council has already been in discussions with community groups about potential solutions, with a recent motion to look into the potential for a 24/7 emergency shelter, something Rogers says is necessary.

“We need a 24/7 shelter in our community, and that will help resolve some of the transitory nature, won’t diminish all of it, but having supports 24/7 in place where people don’t have that movement place to place will be beneficial,” Rogers adds a 24/7 shelter will allow more intensive support for those in the community.

While the Community Housing Society is one of the main supports that addresses chronic homelessness in the city, Rogers says it is going underutilized, saying the current overnight shelter has capacity for 30 beds, but less than half of them being taken advantage of.

“The capacity of beds is not an issue. There is no reason for anyone in Medicine Hat to be sleeping outside.”

Mayor Linnsie Clark says the need to find long-term, sustainable solutions is a priority.

“What options are there…whether it’s through facilitation, bringing additional community groups together, what the city can do to assist with ensuring that individuals in our city have housing security,” Clark says.

The mandate is already getting much-needed attention from city administration, and Leah Prestayko, director of community development with the city says while the issue is being addressed, time is needed to make sure they get it right.

“We want to work through this discussion fairly quickly; it’s certainly a priority for council, they’ve given us this direction, and for us as administration,” Prestayko says. “We have known and have seen certainly in communities that there is need to support vulnerable populations in our community.”

“We recognize that we need to look at this from multiple perspectives,” Prestayko adds. “Certainly, we want to support those who are in need in our community, to ensure that they’re safe, they have a place to stay overnight, they have access to other support and services that can help them to thrive and live the best life that any of us have possible to us.”

The focus remains on keeping those who are out on the streets safe and informed of available housing, with the fall and winter months on the horizon.

by Gates Guarin

Steps underway to help continue addressing homelessness in Medicine Hat

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