Discussions to address homelessness in Lethbridge along with funding are happening at all three levels of government but details remain scarce.
Alysha Wishloff, Spokesperson for Alberta Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon, says the minister and his federal counterpart Minister Sean Fraser had a phone call Wednesday night to discuss conversations between the two governments about cost-matched encampment funding over the past several weeks.
“The Ministers committed to keep their respective officials continuing to meet in the coming days and to complete negotiations on a deal. More details will follow,” Wishloff said in a statement.
The statement comes days after Minister Fraser’s office, the Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, put out a statement about a letter sent to each province and territory back in September about the funding matching partnership to address the issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness in the country. According to the statement as of October 22nd, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan had not responded to the letter. The statement emphasized the upcoming weather change, with winter being just around the corner the federal government was planning to reach out directly to municipalities.
According to a statement Minister Nixon released Wednesday, the province had not received a letter from Minister Fraser about the encampment funding, but “did receive a letter from federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser that initiated planning for federal encampment funding.”
“Officials have met regularly to discuss the best use of these potential funds, including as recently as Monday, Oct. 21,” Nixon’s statement read.
Wednesday night Minister Fraser’s office issued a statement both levels of government have agreed to provide the initial funding to four priority communities in Alberta, including: Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. The statement adds officials will continue to meet in the coming days and to negotiate a deal which would see this funding go to communities on an urgent basis.
mylethbridgenow.com reached out to the City of Lethbridge Thursday and received the following statement, “On the heels of the progress between the Federal and Provincial governments, City administration is now working with the other orders of government and details will be shared once they are finalized.”
