Resident Stories; What is it like to live in Supportive Housing?

Throughout our engagements, many people wanted to know more about the experiences of people who have lived in supportive housing. We have collected some stories from a group of people living in four different supportive housing developments. Names have been changed to protect people’s privacy, but no other details have been changed.

Harris

Harris grew up in New Brunswick, but moved to Alberta to work in a machine shop around 30 years ago. In 2001, he lost his job, and with few connections and resources, he found himself homeless shortly thereafter. He spent almost 7 years living in encampments in the river valley and struggling with addiction.

In 2014, Homeward Trust’s Pathways to Housing program staff met Harris and helped him access a place in supportive housing. He has experienced significant health challenges in recent years and has lost much of his mobility, but the supports and access to medical care available in supportive housing keep him comfortable. 

It took awhile for Harris to adjust to living in housing. After so many years sleeping outside and being constantly on alert, he struggled to feel secure in his apartment, and for the first year he always kept his things in a backpack by the door, afraid he’d be forced to leave. But in the five years he’s lived in supportive housing, he’s become adjusted, and likes the security of knowing he’ll have a safe place to sleep at night. 

Harris describes himself as a private person, but he enjoys the camaraderie of supportive housing, and having a place where he can put his things and enjoy some privacy. Because of his disability, he doesn’t go out much, but he likes to drink coffee from his favourite mug and watch black and white movies with other residents during the day, particularly Westerns. He’s also developed an interest in gardening and is looking after many plants in his apartment.

In terms of services, Harris gets help with accessing disability-friendly transportation when he needs to travel, grocery shopping, managing his AISH cheques, and taking his medication. He is still in recovery from drug use, but he is able to access weekly group therapy sessions to talk about addictions and recovery, and he makes use of the treatment programs that are available through the housing and medical staff.

When asked what he wishes people outside of supportive housing knew about this type of facility, Harris said he would want people to understand that residents are just trying to get help, and that the dignity and safety they get from being housed is really important. For the future, he plans to continue living in supportive housing and getting treatment for his health issues and addiction. 

Darren

Darren is 24 years old. He lives with Fetal-Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), but he didn’t get an FASD diagnosis until he was an adult. In the past, he had a hard time maintaining independent housing or living with family. He became connected with supportive housing through his social worker. While he has never been homeless, his worker felt he would benefit from the structure, support and community of supportive housing. His rent in supportive housing is paid through his AISH payments. 

Darren has been living in supportive housing for three years. For most of that time, he’s lived with his roommate Eric, who has become a good friend, and together they have a cat. On a regular day, Darren likes to visit the gym and the nearby library, and volunteers with a local community youth organization, where he is working with the staff to develop an anti-bullying program. He has previously worked part-time in retail positions when seasonal work was available; now he is working on building his resume with the help of the supportive housing staff. 

Darren said that moving into supportive housing has been “liberating” for him. He has people to help him manage his emotions and day to day tasks when he needs support. He has found a small community of people who understand his experience with FASD. Darren said that in his life, he’s found that “there are times in life when yourself isn’t enough, and sometimes it’s as simple as having someone there to help.” That help has allowed him to maintain housing and develop independence.

For the future, Darren is hoping to get his anti-bullying program off the ground. He would like to enroll in school to finish his GED through Norquest and eventually hopes to become a social worker so he can give back the support he has received. While he doesn’t see himself moving out of supportive housing soon, he is hopeful that eventually he will feel secure and prepared enough to manage living on his own when he is ready. 

Leslie

Leslie left home in northern Saskatchewan when he was 13 years old — more than 50 years ago now. He had 50 cents in his pocket when he left, but he also took with him a knowledge of Cree and a strong respect for Indigenous ceremony. He struggled with addiction over the next several decades, travelling across Canada and falling in and out of sobriety.

Around four years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer and received treatment in Red Deer. He lost the ability to walk, and was not expected to live, but he worked every day to walk again and reconnect with Indigenous ceremony. In the midst of his cancer recovery, he was invited by an Indigenous elder to come live in a supportive housing facility in Edmonton that is centred around Indigenous culture and traditions. 

For Leslie, the biggest impact of supportive housing has been that it has given him hope. He told us that “a little bit of hope can break a cycle”, and that the feeling of safety and stability he’s found in housing has been critical to his health recovery. The staff and residents participate in the ceremony together, and that process has helped Leslie to gain a stronger sense of hope and self-worth, to ground himself in the community, and to take on a leadership role within the housing facility. Today, he has regained his mobility and is cancer-free. 

As he ages and after experiencing significant health challenges, one of the things that Leslie thinks about in his supportive housing is death with dignity. In supportive housing, he’s seen other residents pass away from old age or from illness, but they’ve been surrounded by staff and friends who help them pass comfortably and with dignity and, in some cases, have helped them reconnect with family before passing. Leslie said that this kind of dignity and respect isn’t available for people who pass away while living on the streets. 

Today, Leslie is an active part of his community. He goes to garage sales and community events and sells his paintings, rattles and drums at craft sales in the area. He wants to continue staying in supportive housing and building the connections he has made with staff, other residents, and with his family. 

Steven

Years ago, Steven was working in Halifax for the federal government. He had a family and a job, but he was also living with undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenia and depression. When he started to struggle, he lost his job, and things progressively fell apart. For years afterwards, Steven was homeless and worked as a general labourer on construction sites across Canada, including in Edmonton.

Steven said it was particularly difficult to be homeless in Edmonton. He got into trouble with police for loitering in transit shelters to stay warm, and once got gangrene from untreated frostbite. Throughout all of this, Steven’s schizophrenia went undiagnosed, making it difficult for him to access the services he would need to get on his feet.

Eventually, the police who picked Steven up for loitering asked for a psychiatric evaluation, at which point he received a diagnosis and was placed in a medical facility, where he received treatment for a year and a half.

Steven was then referred to a supportive housing facility focused on individuals living with schizophrenia. Steven described supportive housing as “a stable, predictable environment,” which has been important for his mental wellbeing over the past four years. The community provides him with a good balance between socialization and privacy — he can go to his apartment when he feels overwhelmed or spend time with other residents in the common areas when he wants the company.

Steven likes the concerts and events that the staff sometimes host in the building for residents and the surrounding community, but other than that he doesn’t like to go out very much. He told us he doesn’t like to draw attention to himself. Sometimes he likes to go for walks or even occasionally make interesting purchases at Value Village.

For the future, Steven is hoping to stay in supportive housing. The help he receives in supportive housing, like medication management, assistance in managing his finances, and social support is important to him, and to maintaining a good quality of life.

When asked what he would like people outside of supportive housing to know about his experience, Steven said that while he knows his life story and day-to-day life might not be the same as a typical person’s, he feels safe and comfortable after many years of struggle and is happy where he is.

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By: Jasmine Salazar

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a host of significant health, social, and economic challenges. Factors such as high rates of chronic health conditions, congregate sheltering and housing instability increases the risk of infection among people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, which are further compounded by the disruption of services due to a changing social and health service landscape. 

To ensure our community members experiencing homelessness had access to critical services and supports during the pandemic, Edmonton’s homeless-serving sector organized a response plan that coordinated community, health system and government efforts. Priority concerns were access to healthcare, safe spaces and continued supports, especially with many organizations forced to shut down their brick-and-mortar sites. The result was opening the Edmonton EXPO Centre as a centralized hub for critical services and supports via a daytime drop-in program as well as a 24/7 isolation shelter for those showing COVID-like symptoms. 

Part of the response involved mobilizing a medical station at the EXPO Centre—an effort that involved several health organizations, including HomeCare, Indigenous Wellness Clinic, Streetworks, Mint Health + Drugs, Primary Care Network and Mobile Integrated Healthcare Paramedics providing a range of health services under one roof. Services available included: wound care, foot care, STI testing, pregnancy testing, case management, medication inquiries and support, connecting to community health resources and other general health concerns

For our community members, this centralization of services meant that their immediate needs could be met more efficiently in a barrier-free environment. Since opening on April 28, 2020, the medical station has helped more than 1400 people. 

What are the benefits of working alongside each other this way, and how is this different than business as usual?

Stephen, Alberta Health Services Homecare: Normally our programs work separately in the community—our teams usually work in their own silos. By being together under one roof we have been able to streamline processes and support each other in areas where we may not be as strong. Being together in one station has shown that our programs are much more complimentary to each other. 

Andrew, Mint Health + Drugs: Ability to think creatively to collaborate between different healthcare providers. It has been a unique situation to allow us to work together in a more holistic approach than usual.

Kelsey, Indigenous Wellness Clinic: We all have a different skillset that allows us to help the population to the fullest potential. We can collaborate effectively and work as a team to ensure the client receives the best care possible. 

Elaine, Community Paramedic: The inter-professional collaboration has been valuable since each practitioner brings a specialty to assist patients. Our multi-faceted team has been able to deliver quality patient-centred care during these times when accessing and navigating primary healthcare is extra difficult. We have learned a lot from each other, and how best our resources can be used in the future to collaborate.

Denise, Streetworks: We all have different scopes of practice so between all of us we can fill in any gaps in service that would exist if we were working here solo. 

Lanie, Primary Care Network: We can utilize each others’ resources to come up with a concise plan of care that will be the most effective in providing care to the patients. 

How has this collaboration helped maintain access to health care for community members experiencing homelessness in the context of pandemic?

Stephen: The pandemic has displaced many community members from where they normally access supports. Additionally, many of these sites had shut down or reduced hours. Coming together in the way we have has allowed us to provide short-term relief and support to help manage people’s medical concerns while they are away from their normal supports. We have been able to help a large volume of people maintain a positive health status in the community during the pandemic.

Andrew: The EXPO allows people to access all resources (social and medical) and allows for a patient-centered approach with services. Working together under one roof has been extremely positive and demonstrated what an interdisciplinary practice in the inner city could look like.

Denise: Through the partnerships formed here, continuity of care has increased because we can easily collaborate on care plans and performing front line medical care for people experiencing homelessness and facing multiple barriers to accessing health care. 

Elaine: Our specialties cater to most of our patients needs. We have been able to support patients with barriers to healthcare, especially during these times of pandemic.

Lanie: The collaboration has ensured that patients do not fall through the cracks or get forgotten about. But most importantly, it lets the community members know that through thick and thin they are not forgotten about and that their needs will be met during a pandemic. We are here to support them. 

Can you share a story of someone who was helped by receiving services from the medical station? 

Andrew: A patient came in with a lower limb infection with multiple skin lesions, redness, and swelling. The community paramedics conducted a culture swab and collaborated with an on-call MD. The RN and LPNs handled the wound care by cleansing the affected area then applying a dressing. Lastly, the pharmacy staff was able to assess the appropriateness of the prescription and initiate medication therapy. All of this occurred within a timely manner, without the need for the patient to travel to different health care settings and potentially delaying treatment. This perfectly depicts the benefits of inter-professional collaboration and most importantly, sets the gold standard for patient-centred care.

Kelsey: I saw a patient two months ago who was experiencing withdrawal from fentanyl use. I had helped him get an appointment to start OAT. I recently saw him again and he informed me that hadn’t used fentanyl for two months. 

What do you hope emerges from this collaboration?

Stephen: I hope this will facilitate an openness to future projects and collaborations with our community partners. This experience has shown its effectiveness. I hope we can carry that over to our community roles when we are no longer all under one roof.

Denise: We have built interprofessional relationships that allow us to collaborate across sectors more easily in the future after Expo. Ultimately better continuity of care will hopefully be possible within Edmonton’s inner city.

Andrew: We are grateful to have been part of such a unique and collaborative program, which demonstrated the synergy of interdisciplinary teamwork. I hope this partnership will serve as a catalyst for continued collaboration, and transitions into a site where participants are able to continue accessing housing, social and medical services.

Kelsey: I hope the partnerships will evolve, and that continuous communication and collaboration can continue. Now that we all know how we can integrate care for our clients, we can move forward to ensure that the inner city population has better access to care, is connected to the appropriate resources, and that overall we can prevent people from falling through the cracks. 

Lanie: I hope that more information on how to help and support those who suffer with mental health and drug addictions will be more readily available. With community members, first impressions are lasting impressions and it’s important to make that good first impression so they can continue to feel safe and comfortable to seek help when needed.

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A new pilot program, supported by Homeward Trust, has empowered several Indigenous young women and girls between the ages of 7 and 17 with the skills to achieve greater independence and housing stability.

The program, Preparing Young Women for Safe, Secure Housing, is a prevention-focused intervention for young Indigenous women developed in partnership between the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) and the Bissell Centre as a response to the high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The off-site program supports young women who face a multitude of barriers, including loss of identity, lack of confidence or hope, a limited Circle of Support or mental health issues.

Structured as a four-day camp in a serene location at Wabaman Lake, participants were provided information related to housing stability, personal safety, independent living, cultural education and ceremony. 

“For these young women, the camp instilled a sense of cultural pride and empowered them to imagine the kind of home and community they want to create.”

Participants learned about the housing supports that they and their families can access through the Bissell Centre. Survivors of violence said that having safe and secure housing was important to their personal success. This focus prevents young Indigenous women from experiencing homelessness in the first place, supporting them in their rights as tenants, types of programs available to them, how to appropriately budget, and other important skills they may not otherwise have access.

For these young women, the camp instilled a sense of cultural pride and empowered them to imagine the kind of home and community they wanted to create. At the end of the program, an Elder presented each camper with a feather, representing their role as “Elders-in-the-Making” who will leave camp and go on to build homes, relationships and communities.

Alex Decoteau Park in downtown Edmonton hosted the Homeward Trust medicine garden. Amid the rows of raised planters containing vegetables and fruit, the medicine garden was on a small, triangular plot first planted in 2018.

The garden was used as a hands-on tool to educate front-line workers on traditional herbs and plants, their relationship to Indigenous culture, and their significance in ceremonies and everyday life as for many First Nations people in Canada, practicing their traditions includes preserving and maintaining the practice of utilizing Indigenous medicinal plants both for ceremony and personal healing.

Throughout the growing season, employees and partner agencies spent time in the garden learning about the plants, their uses and their significance in traditional Indigenous practices. Medicine gardens and other similar initiatives are an ongoing component of Homeward Trust’s focus on Indigenous cultural awareness through experiential learning, and with the current work in Alex Decouteau Park, Homeward Trust is reenvisioning the Medicine Garden for 2025. 

Plants as Medicine

Plants are a crucial component of Indigenous medicine, and more than 500 different plants are used for their healing properties. Here are some plant types and their uses:

Cedar. Used as a vitamin C supplement, in the 1700s, Indigenous people treated Europeans suffering from scurvy with a tea made of white cedar.

Dandelion. Cleanses the liver and can be used as an antioxidant.

Mint. Mint leaves contain properties that help remove arterial plaque, a significant cause of hypertension. First Nations have long used mint to make a relaxing and healthy tea.

Nicotiana Tabacum. Considered a sacred medicine, it was used in ceremonies long before contact with Europeans. The plant grown in this garden is not the traditional tobacco plant used in the ceremony; however, it is symbolic within the garden as an offering to the Earth and as an acknowledgment of its critical role within the Indigenous culture.

Sage. White or Buffalo Sage is primarily used in ceremonies and for praying. It creates a cleansing energy, stimulates the immune system, and heals the mind and body.

Sweetgrass. Like sage, sweetgrass cleanses energy but can also be used in a warm bath to help treat shingles, eczema, and other skin conditions.

White Pine. Used for ceremonial medicines, spiritual healing, and protection in conflict, it promotes good energy.

Supportive Housing is a cornerstone of Edmonton’s Updated Plan to End Homelessness. Currently, the plan calls for the construction of more than 900 units to help alleviate the high number of homelessness the city sees every day.

The location of Supportive Housing sites is based on proximity to public transit, amenities, and community support based on public consultation and information sharing. The city has several Supportive Housing sites scattered throughout the Edmonton region. Morning Fire Protector is in the historic Beverly Community.

The building officially opened its doors in 2015 and is a 14-unit program for Indigenous singles, families, and couples. It received its name during a night lodge ceremony. Program staff on-site support residents in accessing cultural resources and ceremonies and facilitate engagement with elders.

Why the Indigenous focus? In 2015, 54% of Housing Support clients were Indigenous. In the past few years, sharing circles, smudges, and traditional feasts have all been held at the residence. Tenants at MFP both engage in and appreciate a program based on culture.

Some of the tenants have told staff they have been able to transform their lives for the better with the stable housing, supports, and indigenous outreach offered by MFP. One Edmonton Police Service officer has made it a special priority to drop in and check on the facility as part of his rounds, and it has now become a favourite of the children who live there!

On October 18^th, the building’s residents and staff held a small community BBQ to bring the community together and perhaps dispel some myths about PSH and the people who inhabit it. Days prior, Staff went door to door and invited people and businesses from the community to the BBQ.

Over the span of two hours, around 40 people from the building and community stopped by to grab a plate of food. Some stayed, some got a plate and went back to their suite. Many laughs were shared, and new connections were made. Young babies, their mothers, brothers, mothers, dads, friends and workers all came together on a beautiful fall day to break bread and have a few hours away from their daily routines.

Through events like this, we see it truly takes a community to come together to make inroads to end homelessness and help our most vulnerable neighbours. Thank you to Beverly’s residents and businesses for helping Morning Fire Protector’s tenants and staff become a part of the community.

Homeward Trust Edmonton proudly supports the release of the federal government’s strategy unveiled this morning to reduce chronic homelessness by half over the next ten years.

With Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, the Government of Canada has committed increased resources toward the goal of ending homelessness and in support of the National Housing Strategy. Reaching Home also brings an increased emphasis on leading practices and strategies that have been instrumental in the strong progress made under Edmonton’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness – specifically, a “Coordinated Access” approach to matching services with need, along with a focus on real-time data to drive ongoing improvements to how programs and services are implemented.

Homeward Trust’s CEO Susan McGee notes: “Our organization sees the importance of data-driven strategies and systems planning, and we’ve seen the benefits of these policies already within our community.”

Reaching Home underscores the role of community-driven approaches to addressing homelessness but also elevates the need for communities to plan and act together as a single system. In Edmonton, this kind of coordinated planning and implementation is well-established; for example, the use of a shared By Name List (BNL) has made a huge impact in understanding needs. The By Name List is a list of people connected to Coordinated Access and assessed as experiencing homelessness requiring referral to sector programs and resources.

The increased emphasis on Indigenous homelessness reduction is also an important step forward. The Strategy recognizes the colonial legacy of Indigenous homelessness and builds on the wisdom heard across the country about the need for dedicated and community-based responses. Indigenous peoples represent only 6% of Edmonton’s population but makeup about half of those identified as experiencing homelessness.

While further details need to be developed for implementation, Homeward Trust Edmonton strongly endorses Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. McGee adds, “It is important to understand that federal investment alone will not end homelessness. Our focus on outcomes and measurable success can provide a foundation through which we can build broad community support. It is critical that we work with all orders of government to leverage this significant opportunity as we strive to end chronic homelessness in Canada.”

Over a 24-hour period, from Wednesday, April 11 to Thursday, April 12, hundreds of Homeward Trust volunteers will fan out across Edmonton and conduct an important point-in-time count of the city’s homeless population.

“The Homeless Count provides vital data and helps inform our ongoing work,” says Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust. “There are many faces of homelessness in our city, and the Count allows us to understand the people involved and to better target our responses based on need.”

This is the 13th time Homeward Trust has counted the homeless population in Edmonton since the first Homeless Count in our community in 1999.

The small army of volunteers who assist Homeward Trust with the annual count come from all walks of life, including people with lived experience, elected officials, post-secondary students, city and provincial employees, park rangers, Edmonton police, agency outreach workers and partners, and church groups, just to
name a few. Working in pairs, volunteers will survey people they come across on predetermined routes as well as at shelters, drop-in centres, libraries, and on public land.

The last time the Homeless Count was conducted was in 2016, when 1,752 people were identified. This number was down 43% from the highest number counted in 2008 before the City of Edmonton’s Plan to End Homelessness was launched in 2009.

The 2016 Count also found that 48% of those experiencing homelessness identify as Indigenous. “That is a stark over representation that must be addressed,” said McGee. “The Count informs our ongoing efforts to end homelessness in Edmonton. We have housed and supported more than 7,000 people since 2009 through Housing Support programs, and we will continue to work relentlessly to see our count reduced all the way to zero.”

The 2018 Count was moved to April to align with the second nationally coordinated homeless count. Everyone Counts 2018 takes place between March and April in more than 60 communities across Canada. The Edmonton Homeless Count is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Homeless Partnering Strategy. This will also be the second time the homeless count in Edmonton will be aligned provincially with Alberta’s seven largest cities – the 7 Cities on Housing and Homelessness.

The final results of the 2018 Homeless Count, as well as future and past results, are available here.

Media Availability

Although there will be no formal launch, the media are invited to participate in the Homeless Count for a 24-hour period.

2018 Homeless Count

April 11 – 7:00 pm Count Begins (and continues for 24 hours throughout Edmonton)
Boyle Street Community Plaza
9538 – 103A Ave

On March 8, 2018, all levels of government, community, and business leaders gathered to celebrate the 2018 Recognizing Outstanding Organizations and People in Housing (ROOPH) Awards.

“I am so proud of our community’s accomplishments since these awards were created 13 years ago,” says Susan McGee, CEO of Homeward Trust. “The ROOPH Awards are an important opportunity to recognize our sector’s achievements and milestones. This year’s recipients are a testament to the work being done in and around Edmonton in affordable housing and homelessness initiatives.”

Larry Shaben Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Housing Sector:

Larry Shaben was a respected Alberta cabinet minister who provided critical leadership in addressing housing issues across the province. One of Mr. Shaben’s most outstanding contributions was in the area of safe, secure, and affordable housing. As a trustee of The Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, he was instrumental in initiating the ROOPH Awards. This award is named in Mr. Shaben’s memory to recognize the highly committed and passionate individuals working in the housing sector in our city.

2018 Larry Shaben Award Recipient:

Marggo Pariseau, Community Coordinator, Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women

Marggo currently serves as the Community Coordinator and Vice President at IAAW, where she has continually demonstrated leadership and service to her community. She has been instrumental in ensuring the needs and priorities of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women and their families are represented by IAAW’s vision. For 20 years, Marggo managed WEAC, the Women’s Emergency Accommodation Centre, providing short- and long-term housing for needy women. Marggo is known for advocating for enhanced services for women, participating in both community and national conversations on homelessness, violence against women, and the specific needs of Indigenous women. Marggo is also a co-founder of the annual Esquao Awards. Founded in 1996, the Esquao Awards has become the largest recognition event in Canada of Indigenous women in categories that include Arts (Performing or Literature), Business, Children’s Future, Community Involvement, Culture, Education, Environment, Health and Medicine, International Influence, Justice, Political Involvement, and Lifetime Achievement.

Watch the video to find our more about Marggo:

 

2018 ROOPH Awards Recipients:

Alberta Rural Development Network

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) developed the Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) in 2015 to address the specific needs rural communities face regarding affordable housing. They work directly with community groups as a facilitator to help simplify the development process. In addition, ARDN’s development of the Rural Homelessness Estimation Guide incorporates cost-conscious, cost-efficient, and reliable practices in accurately estimating the number of people experiencing homelessness in a rural community.

Hope Terrace (Bissell Centre)

Hope Terrace is a permanent supportive housing project operated by Bissell Centre that focuses specifically on individuals that have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Hope Terrace opened in the fall of 2016 and currently supports about 20 individuals. It is the first facility in Canada that provides 24-hour care for formerly homeless individuals diagnosed with FASD. Utilizing a Harm Reduction approach, staff provide support and onsite programming to residents, and are specifically trained to assist people with FASD.

Carter Work Project (Habitat for Humanity)

As part of the Canada 150 Celebration, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined thousands of volunteers in Edmonton last July to kick off the largest building project ever for Habitat for Humanity. A total of 75 Habitat homes are being built in both Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan, highlighting the need for affordable housing throughout our community. The Province of Alberta provided over $4 million in funding and the City of Edmonton donated land for 58 of the houses.

Renay Ristoff

Since October 2016, Renee Ristoff has been the Housing Advocate for the City of Leduc, working through the Family and Community Support Services office. Over the course of 2017, she helped 181 individuals find housing. In 2013, she began as a Housing Outreach Worker at the Bissell Centre, where she helped house 12 individuals within one month during her first year. Renee is also involved with the Alberta Rural Coalition for Ending Homelessness, and is one of the founding board members of Homeless Link Alberta. 

Indigenous peoples are vastly overrepresented in Edmonton’s homeless population. Fifty-seven percent of people experiencing homelessness identify as Indigenous, compared with only 6% of Edmonton’s general population. We recognize that Indigenous homelessness is a colonial legacy and, as such, requires conscious action from all of us.

Earlier this month, we were happy to welcome Harry Watchmaker to lead a smudge-making session with 18 Housing Support staff representing 7 different agencies. Harry is a knowledge keeper from Kehewin Cree Nation who has been cultural support with the Indian Residential Health Support program. He has also supported homeless serving agencies and community members for many years.

Smudging is a practice common to Indigenous peoples in North America. It is a traditional form of cleansing – ridding ourselves and/or our surroundings of negative energy through sacred smoke created from burning medicinal or sacred plants. Many, but not all, Indigenous cultures in Canada smudge and may have different beliefs associated with the smoke, as well as different ceremonies and protocols.

The smudge-making day culminated in medicine-picking trips held throughout the summer and fall. Everyone who attended the session was taught about the various medicines and herbs that were ground up and combined to make the smudge. At the end of the day, each participant had a smudge that they could take with them.

Reconciliation is a key focus area in Edmonton’s Updated Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. A vital part of moving forward is ensuring that we in the homeless serving sector have ongoing, consistent access to Indigenous ways of knowledge and learning to inform our practice. This smudge-making workshop allows Housing Support workers and partner agencies to experience Indigenous culture and ceremony and understand how we can better engage those experiencing homelessness in cultural conversations.

As expressed in the Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada, cultural connections are a way we can help those experiencing homelessness reconnect culturally, spiritually, and emotionally with their Indigeneity lost through colonization and racism that have displaced and dispossessed so many.

On National Housing Day, November 22, the Government of Canada released details of the first ever National Housing Strategy, which includes more than $40 billion in investment over the next 10 years. This Strategy represents a huge step forward in addressing Canada’s housing crisis. It will have a strong impact in Edmonton, and in communities across the country.

Canadians have been calling for new national investment for years. In fact, current levels of homelessness and poverty in Canada are directly related to the limited involvement of previous federal governments in affordable housing since the 1990s. As leaders of the work to end homelessness in Edmonton, we at Homeward Trust see the tremendous potential that comes with all orders of government leaning into the issue.

The cornerstone of the National Housing Strategy is the idea that we as Canadians have a right to housing. This commitment is vital, and will be formalized in legislation. The Right to Housing is not some idealistic notion about everyone owning their dream home; what we’re talking about is acknowledging that without suitable housing, there’s no way for Canadians to be safe, to be healthy, and to participate as active members of our communities. Research and evidence overwhelmingly confirm the benefits of housing for individuals, for family well-being, for our service systems, and for strong, diverse communities. Housing is the foundation of what we can accomplish together as Canadians, as Edmontonians, and no one should be left out. The work to end homelessness in our city has for years been grounded in this shared conviction that everyone deserves a home.

Edmonton’s Mayor, City Council, and local leaders have spoken with one voice on the dire need for new housing units. The City’s Affordable Housing Strategy calls for social, affordable, and supportive housing units to be created in all neighbourhoods. Edmonton’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness calls for more than 900 new units of Permanent Supportive Housing for those who are most vulnerable. Affordable housing is also a key plank of our city’s strategy to end poverty within a generation. The measures within the National Housing Strategy will make more units available and accessible, increasing the diversity and stability of our neighbourhoods.

The National Housing Strategy also creates the Canada Housing Benefit, which is an important tool to help break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. About 20,000 households in Edmonton are currently at risk of homelessness, spending more than half of their income on housing. Last year, around 1% of Edmontonians experienced a period homelessness, with affordability being by far the biggest challenge. Among those needing longer-term support, around 300 new applications for social housing are made each month, far more than the spaces that are available. Affordable rental units are essential not only to help individuals get out of homelessness, but also to prevent people from losing their housing to begin with.

In addition, the Government of Canada is working with governments and leadership representing Indigenous peoples in order to address urgent housing needs on and off reserve. This work is of great interest in Edmonton, where almost half (48%) of those experiencing homelessness identify as Indigenous, compared with only 6% of the total population.

Further developments are forthcoming; for instance, we are looking forward to the renewal of federal homelessness programming to be announced in the coming year. This commitment will be essential to achieving the ambitious goal of the NHS to cut chronic homelessness in half. We know that there is still more to do and more to learn as the National Housing Strategy unfolds, but it sets us on a promising path forward as a community and as a country.