Homelessness isn't just a big city problem as shelters seek to expand in suburban Alberta cities
CBC
As communities surrounding Edmonton continue to grow, so too does the number of people struggling with homelessness.
Organizations in suburban cities like Leduc, Spruce Grove, Camrose, or Wetaskiwin, Alta., are some of the few communities that are facing homelessness on a systemic level for the first time in recent years.
Leduc's only homeless shelter will shut down at the end of the month as it faces the triple threat of an expiring permit and lease and uncertainty in securing a new location.
The Leduc Hub Association, which provides meals and shelter to the city's homeless population, has been unable to find a new location.
This is despite city council voting 6-1 in favour of a motion in February to affirm its commitment to uninterrupted emergency shelter spaces.
CBC has requested comment from the hub on its future.
The organization's website states it is open for overnight shelter but will be closed on May 1.
The hub is one of a handful of organizations that service central Alberta's growing needs of community members experiencing homelessness.
WATCH | Shelters like the Leduc Hub Association are far and few between in central Alberta
Hope Mission Wetaskiwin officially started constructing its permanent emergency homeless shelter in mid-April. Before the building of the shelter, the organization has been in the community since October 2022, operating out of a temporary facility in the city.
Kelly Row, a chaplain and community engagement co-ordinator with Hope Mission, said the shelter serves both Wetaskiwin and Maskwacis.
Row said they see more than 50 clients on a nightly basis, which puts the shelter at capacity.
"We'd rather work in community full time, we find building the relationships, if you close and open for only seasonal, you lose a lot of those relationships," Row said in an interview about the growing need for a permanent space.
Row said the shelter is a stepping stone to addressing needs like housing and addiction recovery, with referrals often occurring outside the city.
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This First Person article is the experience of Kristine Thoreson, who lives in Calgary. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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