Medicine Hat reduces its homeless population
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Yellowknife Homeful Partnership has looked to models in other Canadian jurisdictions to see what's worked in tackling homelessness, particularly in Medicine Hat, Alta., which announced earlier this year it had all but eliminated homelessness from its streets.
"The private sector actually has a huge role in ending homelessness," said Jaime Rogers, manager of the Homeless and Housing Development Department with the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society.
She said that it is through housing availability, not corporate donations, that the sector has played an instrumental role in solving homelessness there.
"A lot of the individuals that come into our Housing First programs that we do see private success (with) are actually living in the private market," she said.
The Housing First model is based on the belief that finding independent, permanent homes for people - not just shelter beds - is the first step to addressing the underlying causes of homelessness including addiction and unemployment.
The Medicine Hat Housing Society receives provincial and federal funding, which allows its caseworkers to help place individuals in homes, then access the necessary resources to manage the issues that landed them on the street in the first place. The society formed in 2009 through the merger of two pre-existing homelessness organizations operating in the city and is independent of municipal government in Medicine Hat.
According to its website, the society provides homes and services to more than 1,000 low-income households and has housed more than 700 people. Medicine Hat has a population of approximately 60,000 people.
Rogers said what has been key to their success is the society's "centralized housing intake function" - a kind of one-stop shop that processes all homelessness cases and assigns caseworkers to individuals. These workers do not treat clients for addictions or mental-health problems but rather helps them access the pre-existing government or community services.
Similarly, if someone has been homeless due to issues like unemployment, underemployment or disability, case workers can help them to find and access governments funding to help with payment of bills.
"It's important for people to know that Housing First doesn't always work for everyone," said Rogers. "We actually have in Medicine Hat a 76 per cent success rate, which is actually pretty good. It's way good. As opposed to before when we were giving out soup and sandwiches and everyone was still homeless."
