New provincial funding to address homelessness, addictions

The Government of Alberta announced significant new funding to reduce homelessness and expand Alberta’s response to addictions on October 1, 2022.

New funding to reduce homelessness

$63 million over two years will support the provincial Action Plan on Homelessness by:

• Expanding the number of shelter spaces for the winter months in priority communities like Edmonton, Wetaskiwin, and Lethbridge, and in rural communities where there is an urgent and unmet need.
• Moving all provincially funded shelters to 24/7 access to make sure support is available day or night.
• Piloting a service hub model at shelters in Edmonton and Calgary to connect clients directly with supports and services such as recovery, housing and emergency financial support.
• Equalizing funding between community-based organizations in Edmonton and Calgary.
• Improving data collection and reporting to support innovation, inform decision-making and better understand homelessness.

New funding for addiction and mental health services

$124 million over two years will focus on increasing access to addiction and mental health services in Edmonton and Calgary by supporting:

• Recovery communities ($65 million in capital and operating funding, starting next year).
• Hybrid health and police hubs ($28 million in capital and operating funding over two years, starting this year).
• Therapeutic living units in provincial correctional facilities ($12 million in capital and operating funding, starting next year).
• Medical detox ($11 million in capital and operating funding, starting next year).
• Harm reduction and recovery outreach teams ($8 million in operating funding over two years, starting this year).

Alberta Municipalities welcomes the Government of Alberta’s announcements of new funding to address these important issues. However, homelessness and addictions are issues that affect communities all across Alberta, not just mid-sized and large cities. Therefore, ABmunis will continue advocating for the provincial government to ensure that every Albertan has a safe place to call home, as well as equitable access to provincial supports and services.