Alberta’s new Social Services Minister Jason Nixon understands the urgency of selecting a site for Red Deer permanent homeless shelter, says deputy mayor Bruce Buruma.
“He knows (the shelter) is a priority for us, as a city, and he demonstrated that it’s an important issue because we were one of the first municipalities on his list to see after he became a new minister,” Buruma added.
On June 13, Nixon “came to us,” rather than having city officials go to him to talk about the shelter project, noted Buruma.
He and Mayor Ken Johnston met with Nixon just a few days after the Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA was named Seniors, Community and Social Services minister on June 9. (The previous minister overseeing the shelter project was Jason’s brother Jeremy Nixon, who was defeated in the last provincial election.)
Jason Nixon was already aware that in early May, the City of Red Deer submitted a fourth site proposal for the shelter to the provincial government after three previous ones were either dismissed or found unfeasible. No location details have been revealed because of privacy required around land negotiations.
Buruma feels last week’s meeting with Nixon was “very positive.” But city officials received no timeline for when the ministry will decide whether to accept the latest site proposed by the City of Red Deer for the shelter.
Buruma said Nixon must now consult with his own staff and follow his department’s decision-making process. ‘The ball is in their court.”
The city’s only role is to indicate a potential site for the shelter, which “is a very challenging decision,” given the community concern about possible negative impacts. Everything else, including the shelter’s construction, cost, floor plan, and model, and operating budget falls under provincial jurisdiction.
Three previous sites selected by the city for the permanent homeless shelter were rejected for various reasons, either unpopular with local businesses, considered inappropriate because of the distance to other services, or the land owner was unwilling to sell for a shelter project.
Mayor Johnston said in May that he believes city council is on the right track with this latest site selected, which fits the five main criteria, including availability, size, impacts to surrounding area, and access to services and supports.
City council has been seeking a site for a permanent shelter since November 2020 for the provisions of integrated 24/7 services to local people experiencing homelessness. In February 2020, the government pledged $7 million for the permanent shelter, which would replace the temporary shelter at the former Cannery Row Bingo.