Moving Forward
A FOCUS ON IGNITING LEADERSHIP TO DRIVE THE PLAN’S IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE ESSENTIAL MOVING FORWARD. IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US TO MAKE THIS VISION A REALITY FOR EDMONTON.
Building on a foundation of strong local progress to date, we recognize more needs to be done as we adjust our approach to meet changing circumstances. SInce the 2009 Plan, Edmontonians have weathered both economic booms and downturns, and their ramifications for those who are most vulnerable. Our housing market remains out of reach for many.
More than 20,000 Edmontonians are living on very low incomes and paying
of their income on shelter costs
Affordable housing has not been created at the levels we need; permanent supportive housing for people with high levels of need remains scarce and underdeveloped.
Though it has been years since the launch of the Plan to End Homelessness, this issue remains an important priority for Edmontonians.
of survey respondents considered homelessness to be very important
The over-representation of Indigenous peoples amongst those experiencing homelessness is stark:
48% of the individuals surveyed in Edmonton’s 2016 Homeless Count identified as Indigenous, compared to 5% of Edmonton’s general population.
INDIGENOUS
VS
GENERAL POPULATION
THIS PLAN ACKNOWLEDGES AND RESPONDS TO THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION’S CALLS TO ACTION THROUGH AN EXPLICIT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT INDIGENOUS HOMELESSNESS IS A COLONIAL LEGACY; AS SUCH, IT REQUIRES CONSCIOUS ACTION FROM ALL OF US.
As a community, we are growing and facing new challenges posed to us by a drastically changing economic landscape. We have seen the value of working together and leveraging one another’s strengths in this work, and will commit to refining our system planning approach moving forward.
This systems approach articulates the mandate for the homeless-serving system moving forward: we will continue to maintain our focus on responding to the need, while enhancing our links and integration with community-based prevention and poverty reduction efforts through EndPoverty Edmonton and Edmonton’s Affordable Housing Strategy. The Plan Update is closely aligned with policy directions across public systems (health, justice, and child intervention) – particularly the provincial Plan to End Homelessness, Valuing Mental Health and the tenets of the National Housing Strategy.
TOGETHER, OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS WILL MAKE EDMONTON THE BEST PLACE TO CALL HOME.