Lacombe city council has approved a report that will serve as a road map for addressing social needs priorities.
The Social Needs Assessment and Prioritization Final Report was reviewed by council at Monday's council meeting and received unanimous support.
Short-, medium- and long-term goals are outlined in the report, which outlines what actions and initiatives can be undertaken to meet those goals. Benchmarks are also identified to rate the success of those initiatives.
"Ensuring Lacombe's enviable quality of life applies to all residents is one of the city's strategic priorities," said Mayor Grant Creasey in a statement. "By creating clear metrics of success, we will have a road map to our community's social success."
The first phase of the social needs identified four community priorities: community action on mental health and addictions, community support for families, getting around and community access and health homes and neighbourhoods.
Earlier work also identified the community's strengths, including: strong support networks and volunteerism, inclusive and accessible services, the number of physical and social gathering places and active community programs, and the community inclusivity and support.
The second phase involved a community survey, community conference and participation in a Fall Active Living Fair. Those and other work led to a breakdown of options to address community priorities.
Among shorter-term priorities that could be tackled within the next two years are developing an asset map of all of the community's mental health and addictions supports outside the health-care system, as well as boosting support for newcomer integration and settlement and looking at more "no-strings attached" community programming.
Longer-term priorities in the three- to five-year range include exploring public transit options and seeking out innovative ways to fund and support affordable housing while looking for ways to form regional and intermunicipal housing partnerships.
Ongoing priorities include using municipal regulatory authority to boost affordable housing, exploring incentives for landlords and developers and engaging with residents to develop community goals.