Housing and homelessness were the focus of a Southern Alberta Council on Public Affair (SACPA) talk last week. Robin James, chief administrative officer at Lethbridge Housing walked the crowd through what she called a continuum of housing and outlined where the community is lacking resources. James said she would like to see the conversation shift from affordable housing, to the need for appropriate housing.
On the far left of the housing continuum are people without shelter and James says the biggest gap is between the far side and affordable housing. She said there is a need for more transitional housing in the community.
“We are trying to move them from that far end, all the way almost to that other end and then we are wondering why they are not succeeding. They are not succeeding because we don’t have the appropriate housing for them,” she said. People coming out of homelessness need support in order to adjust to being housed and be able to keep a home of their own, according to James.
Lethbridge Housing provides affordable housing, with programs for rent geared to income and James said there is a waitlist of 711 people. Of those people, she pointed out less than two per cent are currently experiencing homelessness and said the organization is working to find the gaps preventing people from being housed and address them.
In November, Lethbridge Housing asked city council to rezone two downtown apartments to allow for 24 hour support for people living there. The application was met with resistance from members of the public and James said the request has since been reworked.
BACKGROUND: Lethbridge Housing Authority looking to provide 24 hour support at two locations
Much of the pushback came from the request for direct control zoning, which caused confusion and opposition. Lethbridge Housing will go back to council with a new request for a development permit to allow for supportive housing.
James said she had conversations with neighbours around the two buildings and those who she has talked to support the new proposal.