LAC LA BICHE – Finding affordable housing options for clients has been an ongoing challenge for the Lakeland Out of the Elements Shelter Society (LOESS).
Lauren Odland is the executive director of LOESS, which operates the transitional housing facility located close to Lac La Biche’s Alexander Hamilton Park. Staff at the shelter, according to Odland, have hit roadblocks as they work to get clients out of the facility and into local housing.
“We have lots of people here at the shelter right now that are housing ready . . . there’s just nowhere to put them,” she said.
The organization has been actively searching for and putting in applications for housing for participants in the LOESS program. These efforts have been largely futile as the shelter has found very few options that would be sustainable for single adults.
“One of the other things that we’ve identified here is there is low-income housing, but they’re mostly targeted towards families,” Odland said, adding that clients helped by LOESS are often single adults looking for an apartment.
When LOESS does find accommodations, clients aren’t being accepted to them. When asked why this happens, she explained that a lot of it has to do with stigma, and the fact that many people are unable to provide rental references.
“A lot of them haven’t been housed in a significant amount of time,” she said.
Odland explained the shelter society has reached out to local realtors and have been told to wait for openings. LOESS has also had discussions with Lac La Biche County officials, but so far, no direct solutions to the issue have been found.
LOESS, according to Odland, has also been in contact with government officials and agencies to explore options for funded housing options for people in the Lac La Biche area. However, staff with the organization have not received any immediate answers.
Currently, a single adult on AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) receives $1,600 per month. Even with a rental assistance benefit, she explained, the price of rent for a single adult would have to be $600-$800 per month to be considered affordable.
Odland said from her understanding, there is a shortage of rentals in the community of Lac La Biche and therefore it is a more of a competitive market.
Allan Lavallee was a client at the transitional housing shelter from the time it opened in January 2024, to mid-February of this year.
Lavallee now lives on his own in a basement suite, which he said has been a great change.
“It’s like night and day,” he said. “It empowers a person.”
Getting as many people as possible out of shelters and into local affordable housing, is very important, according to Lavallee.
“It gives a person hope."
According to Jocelyn Ouellette, a realtor with Remax La Biche Realty, affordable low-income housing options are few and far between.
“There’s not very many rentals,” she acknowledges.
Vacancy for rentals, including apartments, is low, and even private basement suites are hard to find.
