Downtown Medicine Hat is seen in this undated photo. (CHAT News File Photo)

By Chris Brown

First in country

National group says Medicine Hat has ended chronic homelessness

Jun 2, 2021 | 9:46 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat is the first community in Canada to end chronic homelessness.

In 2015, the city said it ended homelessness using a standard defined by the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, as there was no national standard at the time.

“We get the privilege of leading and designing and kinda being the architects of change,” Jaime Rogers, Manager of homeless and housing development for Medicine Hat Community Housing Society said. “But it’s really around the work of our community.”

Now, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness says Medicine Hat has reached functional zero chronic homelessness, a national standard defined as three or fewer individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in the community for three consecutive months.

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Medicine Hat defines chronic homelessness as individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness and who have either had a total of at least 180 days of homelessness over the past year or have experienced recurrent homelessness over the past three years.

Rogers says the feat has been achieved because the community was willing to take on the systems and engage in the difficult conversations.

“There are so many different agencies and organizations and other government systems and services that contribute to this great work,’ Rogers said. “It’s with them coming to the table and integrating services in an effort to actually improve housing for all of our Hatters here in our community that make this actually work.”

In 2015, MHCS defined ending homelessness as no one in Medicine Hat would experience homelessness for more than 10 days before they had access to stable housing and the supports needed to maintain it.

More to come…