COLD LAKE – During a Jan. 16 City of Cold Lake council meeting, Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr addressed concerns about funding for homeless shelters and the need for stable housing solutions.
The discussion shed light on the challenges faced by organizations such as the John Howard Society, which operates in Cold Lake, and highlighted the pressing issue of homelessness in the region.
City of Cold Lake Coun. Chris Vining expressed his concerns about the current approach to funding, asking, "Is the government committed to providing permanent stable housing? What I am understanding is that we are doing year-to-year on funding, which makes things very difficult for organizations like John Howard.”
He also pointed out the legal challenges faced in dismantling illegal encampments due to insufficient shelter space, asking if the province would commit to funding expansions for communities in need.
In response, Cyr acknowledged the need for stability in funding for not-for-profit societies and private institutions. He proposed a potential solution, saying, "I would say I would be in favour of, instead of going year-to-year, maybe three-year rolling funding that maybe gives a little more stability for them, and they can plan around that."
But he added almost every not-for-profit and private institution is having similar issues. While emphasizing the minister's role in core funding decisions, he expressed trust in the government's ability to make informed decisions.
Vining pushed back, emphasizing the urgency of the homelessness crisis. He argued, "We are in crisis right now in our homelessness, so to equate our homelessness situation to every other society that's coming forward, I think is a little off right now.”
Cyr defended the government's need to maintain budgets and exercise caution with permanent funding.
"When it comes to permanent funding, we need to use some caution with that. I trust my ministers and my premier in the decision they are making right now," said Cyr.
The discussion then shifted to the scale of the homelessness issue, with Vining providing statistics and emphasizing the severity of the problem in rural areas.
“In the summer, we were approximately around 80 [people]. So, if you equate that on a per capita type of arrangement, where Edmonton right now is dealing with 2,500-3,000 homeless, that would put us at a ratio of around 8,000 folks because we are about 100 times smaller.”
Cyr acknowledged the homelessness issue and proposed addressing the root causes, particularly addiction. He argued against the notion of building large complexes to house the homeless, stating, "We are not going to build our way out of this, we have an addictions problem that I think we need to deal with."
The MLA further outlined his plan to tackle addiction by advocating for a recovery centre in the region. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach involving local communities, settlements, and First Nations communities.
“We need to have that process where we are breaking addictions and working with our local communities.”
Vining emphasized what he believes is a dire situation in the region, pointing to tapped-out social housing and rising rental rates.
Cyr concluded the discussion by highlighting the support received from municipalities for a recovery centre proposal. He acknowledged the regional priority, especially in communities like Cold Lake and St. Paul, which are among the hardest hit by homelessness.
