LAC LA BICHE - Additional provincial funding will soon be available to local shelters and community partners who run COVID isolation centers and offer specialized services for those in need. Lac La Biche County is one of those communities
Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement this week in an effort to provide 24-7 emergency services—including shelter and basic necessities—to vulnerable populations across the province.
Lac La Biche-area organizations will receive $272,000 in funding from the provincial government's new $21 million province-wide budget, says Justin Marshall, the Press Secretary to the Minister of Community and Social Services Jason Luan.
The funds will be divvied up between local agencies with, “about $125,000 is specifically for isolation supports,” says Marshall.
The local groups that will run the isolation centres, says Marshall, are not yet public knowledge, rather there will be procedures in place in the coming weeks for clients who are not eligible for isolation-based resources to stay at designated shelters in order to access support.
“Isolation facilities are run by trusted community partners who are experienced in supporting the varied health needs of vulnerable people. These facilities are secure and are not open to the public,” he told Lakeland This Week. “To protect the privacy of local businesses and clients accessing these sites, we do not share the location of these facilities.”
The funding allocated to the region is the second round of COIVD support, Marshall said.
Originally, the province distributed $78 million during 2020 to provide shelters and unsheltered individuals with support across the province.
“This funding was provided to help operate women’s shelters, expand shelter spaces, set up isolation spaces, adjust service delivery and where possible, provide 24-7 shelter and day supports. Lac La Biche did receive about $388,000 of this funding to operate a homeless shelter and to provide isolation supports for people with COVID symptoms or positive test results.”
Due to the privacy of client records, there was no indication of how many area individuals will benefit from the funding resources.
In recent months, Lac La Biche County, the local Métis Nation of Alberta office and some independent supporters had been trying to secure municipal land to create a fenced-in area for homeless people to create their own shelters. Planning for that project, which also included three-time-a-day bus service from the rural property into the Lac La Biche community, has not been updated since late summer.
Provincial officials say continuing to support shelter services and the clients who access them is crucial for protecting the overall healthcare system and those in need throughout the pandemic.
The funding will be available to shelters until March 2022. More information will be available in the coming weeks.
