It was good to hear, at the “Everyone’s Home” action plan open house on May 25 that there has been considerable progress in reducing the number of homeless people in Red Deer; and that the community operated “Housing First” projects are making a difference.
In a letter to the editor Jonathan Denis, Alberta Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs justifiably takes credit for the support funding. However it is the community organizations and the work and investment in affordable suites and apartments and shared accommodations throughout the community, staffed with mentors and support agencies that in my view are making the biggest difference.
There needs to be diligence that the ownership and management of these affordable facilities will continue to be available for the extended future.
This city must never forget the disappointment and fiasco of The Monarch place affordable housing project, built with municipal and provincial funding, and then callously turned in to a real estate speculator’s benefit.
We know poverty in Red Deer is not experienced by the homeless alone. It remains well hidden among groups of the working poor, the single parent families, the immigrant and refugee population.
As Greg Neiman, Advocate editor pointed out in his view of May 11, there is a widening income gap in our community, and province. To date the provincial Conservative Government has not provided any coordinated leadership to improve that condition.
While other provinces have formed cabinet task forces to actively work on poverty reduction, Alberta remains a standout in refusing to acknowledge existing poverty.
While Minister Jonathan Denis maintains his contribution to addressing poverty focuses on providing housing and supports to the homeless, his cabinet colleague the Minister for Employment and Immigration Thomas Lukaszuk states that Alberta has a poverty reduction strategy but does not call it that; he said: “In a nutshell Alberta’s poverty reduction strategy is employment”.
There may be other opinions and programs among the many relevant Alberta ministers, but they appear to be acting in their own silos.
We in Red Deer have seen how these silos can block the needed programs for healthcare and seniors.
In our community a new group the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance was formed to join agencies, organizations and citizens together to work on positive change.
This group CAPRA supports the Alberta summit on poverty and prosperity, an “Un-conference” to be held on June 9 & 10, 2011 at the Black Knight Inn – Red Deer, Alberta.
The title is Connecting the Dots: Social Capital, Social Innovation, Social Justice. For more information please call event coordinator Pat at 780-490-5804.
We hope it will be well attended and supported.
Sam Denhaan
Red Deer