Executive director at Turning Point says the $500,000 that the City of Red Deer is using to clean up homeless camps could have been used elsewhere such as improving permanent housing programs.
Stacey Carmichael said she has “mixed feelings” over the city’s decision to spend $500,000 over the next two years to clean up dozens of homeless camps.
During the budget talks, council approved spending $300,000 this year and another $200,000 next year in a 6-3 vote to tackle the growing number of homeless camps.
Just like many others, Carmichael doesn’t want to see homeless camps in the city.
But she would like to see a proactive approach to the problem, rather than a reactionary one.
“We could’ve housed a lot of people for $300,000,” she said.
Franklin Kutuadu, research and evaluation coordinator with social planning department for the City of Red Deer said the city’s housing services include a variety of programs but “unfortunately the demand for housing programs exceeds the spaces available.”
The number of people looking for housing varies by the week but the average number is 93.
The number doesn’t account for all the people experiencing homelessness in Red Deer, but only those that have been assessed for housing needs by the city, said Kutuadu.
Barb Barber, Women’s Outreach executive director, said there’s a need for affordable housing in Red Deer.
She said the four case workers who work closely with those who maybe on the verge of homelessness talk about not being able to afford rents in the city.
Carmichael said a safe drug consumption site would help with the needle debris issue in the city.
“We don’t want there to homeless camps and needle debris that are impacting safety in our community, but I think it’d be better if we could provide people a place to live, provide a place where they can use their drugs,” she said.
She isn’t sure if the problem would completely go away despite the spending, because the people living at the camps would just move somewhere else, she said.
“What is the end goal there? Are we worried about perceptions when Winter Games come?” she said.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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