SafeLink Alberta is located at 419 North Railway St. S.E. in Medicine Hat. (Image Credit: SafeLink Alberta Medicine Hat)

By Jesse Gill

Community Supports

SafeLink Alberta’s Medicine Hat daytime drop-in service at risk of closure after funding loss

Jan 9, 2026 | 11:08 AM

SafeLink Alberta has stated that due to a loss of funding, its daytime drop-in services in Medicine Hat are at risk of closure.

The daytime space is currently open to anyone who needs support, with the organization saying it serves as a critical entry point for people who use drugs, experience homelessness, and those seeking low-barrier health and social services.

About 60 to 70 individuals are supported each day at the location on North Railway Street Southeast.

SafeLink stated that without suitable funding, the drop-in services would be unable to continue beyond the end of the month.

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A letter posted by SafeLink Alberta on Thursday. (Image Credit: SafeLink Alberta Medicine Hat)

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During the councillor announcements at the Medicine Hat City Council meeting on Jan. 5, 2025, Coun. Bill Cocks brought up the issue with funding.

He had first touched on the community concern regarding the unhoused population in the city during the winter months.

“We’re experiencing some very cold weather, and then the next day it kind of warms up again, but it’s consistently winter weather, and certainly no condition to be sleeping rough or spending much time outside,” Cocks said.

“Unfortunately, SafeLink has been operating a daytime drop-in center, which was being used perhaps even more because of the limitations that The Mustard Seed has experienced with respect to their overnight sheltering, which they’re continuing to provide, although it’s challenged from the perspective of the number of beds they can provide,” he added.

“In any event, SafeLink had applied for funding, funding that came from the Government of Canada, and without going through all the details of their approvals and processes, very recently in December, the province denied approval for the city to enter into the agreement.”

Cock said that the provincial government’s denial was for the provision of this service by SafeLink, citing misalignment with Alberta’s mental health, addiction, and recovery priorities.

“The funding comes to us and would then be provided to SafeLink to operate this facility, but we have been told we cannot forward it because of SafeLink’s misalignment,” Cocks said.

He then asked the Interim City Manager Joe Hutter if there was anything that could be done to follow up on this.

Mayor Linnsie Clark then pointed out that the City won’t be receiving the funding either.

Joe Hutter, the interim City Manager whose permanent position is Managing Director of Public Services, said that he was not aware of any formal process by which the City can appeal.

He added that this will cause the daytime services to close down, as it requires annual funding of about $300,000. 

“I guess the long and the short of it is we can expect to see more of that population shuddering and shivering over hot air registers, vents in the city’s streets,” Cocks responded.

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READ: Demand increasing at Medicine Hat’s homeless shelter as temperatures cool (Dec. 11, 2025)

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The Mustard Seed‘s senior director of community engagement, David Conrad told CHAT News in December that the Medicine Hat shelter operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 34 beds.

“When it is extremely cold, we do have an overflow space available, so we can take a few more than that as needed. But there’s always a need and not just in Medicine Hat, but across the country, there’s a need for more shelter beds,” Conrad said.

The City of Medicine Hat in December was working with the Alberta Government and the housing society to open a temporary shelter location to offer additional beds, above what is already offered at The Mustard Seed’s Eighth Street Southeast location.

The Mustard Seed’s Community Impact Centre on Allowance Avenue Southeast was closed to the public at the end of February, after operating at the site since April 2021.

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READ: Mustard Seed closes Medicine Hat daytime centre permanently (Feb. 28, 2025)

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Discontent from residents in the Flats area over the behaviour of those who used the facility contributed to the decision to close the building to the public.