Recovery Centre Tour

Last month, I had the opportunity to tour the Red Deer Recovery Centre as part of a separate meeting in my role on Alberta Municipalities. The tour was provided by the Premier’s Chief of Staff. I found it to be a very enlightening tour as there are many similarities between the recovery centres that the provincial government is building and the 24/7 supportive housing developments recently opened within Edmonton.

The provincial government funds the operations of both the recovery centres and the 24/7 supportive housing units. The main funding difference is that the cost of building the recently completed 24/7 supportive housing developments in Edmonton was funded by the City whereas the provincial government has been funding the construction of the various recovery centres across the province, such as the one in Red Deer.

It was great to see the approach they take in the recovery centres and I know they will help many people deal with the illness of addiction. As part of the spectrum of care these are critical and fill an important role, however these centres are designed to allow people to stay for up to a year which is why it is critical that we also support and fund 24/7 supportive housing spaces for those leaving treatment or who need a different starting place.

In my post after the election, I wrote about areas where we have common ground with the new provincial government and where we still need support. While housing is still a massive need in Edmonton and across the province, the tour of this recovery centre gave me a lot of hope that there is growing alignment on how to address this crisis.

The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness came together on June 7th to recognize the lives of those who have died directly or indirectly from the homelessness. In 2022, we lost 156 people in Edmonton. Since tracking this in the late 2000s, 1,411 people have lost their lives in Edmonton.

We all know this is unacceptable and it is completely preventable. After touring the recovery centre in Red Deer and hearing from the Premier’s Chief of Staff, I have hope that the provincial government will be stepping up to fulfill the recommendations of their own Coordinated Community Response to Homelessness Task Force. This includes investing in more recovery centres, 24/7 supportive housing, implementing the minimum shelter standards, and more.

I look forward to working with the provincial government to make a meaningful impact in the housing and addictions crisis over the next year.