The City of Red Deer has released Closer to Home: 2015/2016 Annual Report on Red Deer’s Homelessness Initiatives.
The report provides details on the number of clients housed and financial reporting, along with an overview of the System Framework for Housing & Supports and Coordinated Access Process. The report also includes quotes taken from the personal stories of the clients and staff involved in our local housing programs. Further excerpts offering a glimpse into the lives of this vulnerable population can be found at www.reddeer.ca/homelessness.
“We continue to make significant progress toward ending homelessness,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “We acknowledge it’s a formidable goal but we are committed to ensuring Red Deer is a place where safe, accessible and affordable housing is available to all, and everyone is appropriately housed. We will continue our collective work to ensure we create accessible and appropriate services that best suit the needs of the people and community we serve.”
Closer to Home reports 728 individuals were housed or supported through the provincial Outreach and Support Services (OSSI) grant and the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) grant from April 1st, 2015 to March 31st, 2016. Of that, 132 new individuals were housed through the OSSI grant and 97 new individuals received housing and supports through the HPS grant during that period.
“Community agencies deserve recognition for the collaborative successes we achieve in this sector,” said Social Planning Manager Scott Cameron. “Starting in 2016, we started moving together toward a more effective and proactive system, focusing on rough sleepers and those who have been homeless the longest.”
EveryOne’s Home: Red Deer’s Five Year Plan to End Homelessness outlines the community’s overall strategies to end homelessness. The System Framework for Housing & Supports, released earlier in 2016, builds on the 10 year plan and better coordinates the housing and supports system and focuses on matching the right person with the right program.
For more information about ending homelessness in Red Deer or to review the report online, visit www.reddeer.ca/homelessness.
– Fawcett
