Homeless population appears to be dwindling, but experts say more can be done
Posted Nov 21, 2014 1:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Calgary Homeless Foundation is encouraged by the results of an October count of our homeless population, which has actually seen a drop by two per cent since 2008, despite the fact that Calgary’s population has continued to grow at an accelerated pace.
Still, the foundation and the mayor say there’s a lot more that needs to be done to end homelessness in our city.
The homeless dip in the face of a population surge is seen by many as a sign that Calgary’s ten year plan to end homelessness is working. Mayor Naheed Nenshi said there are many more things the city has to do on providing housing, making sure there’s enough land supply, encouraging the creation of private sector market rentals but at the top of his list is coming to terms with secondary suites.
“There are tens of thousands of illegal suites in Calgary right now and those citizens, our neighbours, are living without the protection of the law” he said, “There’s very little we can do to help them. I don’t think that is right or fair. We need safe, regulated, decent places for people to live. I think it is a crime that city council has not been able to grapple with this issue particularly in this environment.”
That sentiment was echoed by Diana Krescy, the head of the Calgary Homeless Foundation.
“We need to have secondary suites” she said, “We need to have landlords on side to be able to open up their suites and work with programs who can put supported people in regular housing. We need community associations to work with as to say we’re building places or we’re converting places in your neighbourhood for another neighbour to move in. That neighbour may have some unique needs, but they are no different from the neighbour down the street.”
Calgary’s homeless number just over 3,500 which is 54 per cent of the homeless population for the entire province.
