March 30, 2023
The City of Edmonton has created an Enhanced Encampment Response Plan that will guide its encampment response for the next two years. The plan will be presented to Council’s Community and Public Services Committee on April 11.
The goals of the plan are to:
- Provide people experiencing homelessness with clear, consistent and rapid connections to housing and supports
- Ensure that encampments do not diminish individual or public safety
Since 2020 the number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton has more than doubled and the number of encampments has continued to rise dramatically. According to Homeward Trust’s By Name List, as of March 13, 2023, of the 2,843 people experiencing homelessness, more than 750 people are unsheltered, meaning they frequently sleep outside or in places not fit for habitation.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of people experiencing homelessness while significantly impacting access to services. The City of Edmonton’s response to encampments on public lands has evolved to adapt to continually changing conditions, while demand continues to increase with the rapid growth of the number of people living in encampments.
Although the current approach achieved success in preventing large-scale encampments, it did not fully address the complex needs of people experiencing homelessness. In response, Administration has developed an enhanced encampment response that builds on past successes while improving effectiveness through process changes and prototypes. The launch of an intensive and highly coordinated effort to house 100 people from encampments is among the tactics Administration will test this summer.
“Encampments are a symptom of Edmonton’s shortage of safe, adequate and affordable housing,” said Jennifer Flaman, Deputy City Manager for Community Services. “This plan draws on our learnings in responding to encampments as we continue to address barriers to housing in Edmonton.”
An evaluation framework, including targets, will measure the ongoing process of the encampment response.
Any necessary funding that may be required for an enhanced approach would be developed as a service package request for the fall 2023 Supplemental Operating Budget Adjustment.'
