Category: ESPC Publications: Community Matters

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

By Jenna Robinson, ESPC Summer Research Assistant 

 

When critically engaging with houselessness in Edmonton, it is essential to include its intersection with experiences of family and intimate partner violence. Domestic violence is often cited as a leading cause of houselessness among women in Canada (Homeless Hub, 2016). There are many factors that cause this to occur, including structural barriers to accessing housing, financial constraints, and the overall nature of family and intimate partner violence.  

Prevalence of Family and Intimate Partner Violence in Canada  

Family violence and intimate partner violence are often used synonymously to define experiences of domestic violence, however, there are important distinctions between the two; family violence includes violence within a household and can occur between parents, children, and siblings (Moorer, 2021). Intimate partner violence includes violence in a romantic relationship who may or may not reside in the same household. Both family violence and intimate partner violence can take form in many ways, such as emotional/psychological, financial, sexual, and physical abuse. In 2019, 67% of the victims of family violence in Canada were women and girls and this population also comprised 79% of all victims of intimate partner violence (Statistics Canada, 2021). In previous years, Alberta has had the third highest reported rate of intimate partner violence among all provinces in Canada (Mertz, 2017); Saskatchewan had the highest, followed by Manitoba.  

It is critical to note that these rates only include police-reported experiences of violence which fail to depict the severity of violence; “It’s impossible to calculate the number of women and girls experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner, spouse or relative. The majority – more than 80%, according to one StatsCan estimate – go unreported” (Kingston, 2019). Many of those who experience family and intimate partner violence do not report their experiences to the police due to fear, lack of trust in authorities, and denial. Some folks do not know that they are experiencing violence, nor do they want their partner to get in trouble. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in calls to Albertan women’s shelters, leaving Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society with an increase of over 100% from 2019-2021 (Fikowski, 2021).  Support and housing options are required now more than ever to provide immediate safety for women and children fleeing violence.  

Shelter Options for Women Fleeing Family Violence in Alberta  

Folks leaving family violence have three options of shelters in Alberta: emergency, first stage, and second stage shelters. All shelters have strict surveillance and security measures to ensure residents are as safe as possible and no unwanted visitors are able to enter. One study found that “going to a domestic violence shelter could allow a survivor to access additional services, support, and a sense of community” (Rizo et al., 2022). In addition, Rizo et al, (2022) found that shelters ‘help a survivor get out of survival mode,’ provide safety, and potentially enhance well-being.” Housing is important because it provides folks with a safe and secure space where they can process their experiences and plan for the future. However, there are significant barriers for women leaving violence and attempting to secure safe, affordable housing. For example, financial abuse affects a woman’s ability to afford housing because her partner may not have allowed her to work or freely access the family finances (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2017). Racism, sexism, and discrimination also influence a woman’s ability to find housing, for her and her children. For those who have nowhere else to go, there are some options: 

Emergency Shelters  

Emergency shelters are short-term housing spaces where folks can temporarily live to physically leave the violence they (and/or their children) are experiencing. Shelter workers connect folks to counsellors who can help them find the support they need. An example of an emergency shelter for women fleeing violence in Edmonton is Lurana Shelter. Lurana Shelter provides “safe, secure refuge and emergency services such as meals, clothing, personal care items, transportation, and child support, as well as services related to advocacy, and staffing 24/7 for support and security. One-on-one counselling is provided in partnership with a community agency” (Catholic Social Services, 2022). If needed, an emergency shelter can refer a woman (and their children) to other shelter options that provide longer-term support, such as Wings of Providence.  

First Stage Shelters  

First stage shelters allow folks to focus on recovery and healing from their experiences. Residents typically do not work or go to school and instead attend group and individual counselling sessions. Free childcare is typically offered while the mother attends one-on-one and peer counselling, group counselling, healing circles, and/or other important appointments. An example of a first-stage shelter for women in Edmonton is WINGS of Providence; their first-stage shelter is an apartment building with 49 units consisting of 2- and 3-bedroom living spaces that are fully furnished (Wings of Providence, 2022). WINGS also offers social support and life skills education. This includes safety planning, court accompaniment, food pantry, grocery gift cards, and many other services. Along with their first stage shelter, WINGS supports some women through their second stage shelter, “Home Next Door”. 

Second Stage Shelters  

Second-stage shelters are “safe, long term, affordable housing [options] to promote continued healing and independence.” (Wings of Providence, 2022). These shelters differ from emergency and first stages shelters because they require women to return to work or school to aid in their integration into society, yet still provide programming options for women and their children. At the Home Next Door, families still have access to the WINGS donation programming and an Outreach Program that provides counseling support, education, and resources for those overcoming family violence.  

Limitations of Domestic Violence Shelters – Are They the Best Solution?  

Although domestic violence shelters as a temporary refuge is a response to the growing rates of family and intimate partner violence in Canada, there are limitations and concerns associated with them. For example, the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters [ACSW] (2019) reported that between 2018-2019, Alberta shelters had to turn away 23,247 women, children, and seniors who were seeking housing due to capacity limitations. This finding is not only potentially life-threatening but likely is an under-estimate of the current severity of those being turned away. Although experiences of domestic violence itself influence the rate of hidden homelessness within populations (which cannot be calculated), the lack of available shelter beds increases the severity of this problem because it forces this population to couch surf, return to unsafe relationships, engage in survival sex work, or live in their vehicle (Thielman, 2021). COVID-19 has sparked an influx in reporting of family and intimate partner violence but has also likely influenced the invisibility of family and intimate partner violence. Accessing support services and shelters became more difficult due to mandatory quarantines and lockdowns because partners and family members were forced to stay home. As a result, individuals experiencing violence have less opportunity to be alone and access domestic violence support.  

When responding to the growing rates of family and intimate partner violence, we must address and consider the unique experiences of specific populations in our communities, such as visible minority groups, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, as well as youth and older adults.  

Edmonton has taken a step in the right direction by providing a one-time investment of $880,000 in 2022 to women’s shelters across Edmonton, but they must not stop there (Komadina, 2022). It is critical that Edmonton expands its support and services to better support all genders, sexual orientations, and racial, ethnic, and cultural identities who endure family and intimate partner violence.  

If you are worried about yourself or someone you know, you can learn about warning signs of an abusive relationship here. For a list of other domestic violence shelters supporting women leaving violence in Alberta, please visit the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters website. For domestic violence support catered for refugee and immigrant populations, visit the Islamic Family and Social Services Association. The Aboriginal Counselling Services of Alberta offers programming for Indigenous Peoples impacted by domestic violence, such as the Circles of Safety program for men, women, children, and youth. The Today Centre provides services for those impacted by family violence and is 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly. 

 

Note: This is an excerpt from our September 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here

 

Jenna Robinson was the Research Assistant with ESPC in the summer of 2022 and has since moved to Calgary to complete her Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include criminalized and victimized women, intersectionality, and anti-racism. 

 

 

References  

Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters. (2019). 2019 Data Release. https://acws.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ACWS_Data-Release-2019._ACWSWEB.pdf.  

Catholic Social Services. (2022). “Lurana Shelter & Support”. https://www.cssalberta.ca/Our-Services/Domestic-Abuse-Shelters-Support/Lurana-Shelter.      

Fikowski, T. (November 25, 2021). “’Get worse before it gets better’: Alberta agencies say domestic violence increased during pandemic”. CTV News Calgary. https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/get-worse-before-it-gets-better-alberta-agencies-say-domestic-violence-increased-during-pandemic-1.5681442.   

Heidinger, L. (2021). Intimate partner violence: Experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada. Juristat. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 85-002-X.  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00007-eng.htm.       

Homeless Hub. (2016). Domestic Violence & Homelessness. https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/domestic-violence-homelessness.    

Kingston, A. (September 17, 2019). “We are the dead”. Mclean’s. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/2019/10/1/we-are-the-dead.     

Komadina, S. (2022). Edmonton women’s shelters get financial support from city council. https://globalnews.ca/news/8770777/edmonton-womens-shelters-support-city-council/.    

Mertz, E. (February 19, 2017). “Alberta 3rd highest province for rate of intimate partner violence: report”. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/3259656/alberta-3rd-highest-province-for-rate-of-intimate-partner-violence-report/.    

Moore, C. (2021). Intimate partner violence vs. Domestic violence. YWCA Spokane. https://ywcaspokane.org/what-is-intimate-partner-domestic-violence/.    

National Network to End Domestic Violence. (2017). The Impact of Safe Housing on Survivors of Domestic Violence. https://nnedv.org/spotlight_on/impact-safe-housing-survivors/   

Rizo, C. F., Klein, L. B., Chesworth, B., Macy, R. J., Dooley, R. (2022). Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Housing Needs and Preferences: A Brief Report. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 37(1-2), 958-972. Doi: 10.1177/0886260519897330    

Statistics Canada. (2021). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2019. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210302/dq210302d-eng.htm  

Thielman, J. (2021). “Ending Homelessness For Women and Children Affected by Intimate Partner Violence”. https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/ending-homelessness-women-and-children-affected-intimate-partner-violence%C2%A0.   

WINGS of Providence. (2021). “What we do”. https://wingsofprovidence.ca/what-we-do/.    

 

[/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022_10_26_Where_do_you_go_when_home_isnt_safe_domestic_violence_shelter_options_in_Alberta.mp3″ title=”Listen to the Article” album_name=”Audio Recording” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”2022_10_26_Where_do_you_go_when_home_isnt_safe_domestic_violence_shelter_options_in_Alberta” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_audio][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022_10_26_Where_do_you_go_when_home_isnt_safe_domestic_violence_shelter_options_in_Alberta.mp3″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the Audio Recording Here” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#A6C942″ button_border_color=”#A6C942″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

By Amanda Labonte 

 

In order to put an end to homelessness, those who are unhoused need the necessary support to transition away from being unsheltered to finding a safe and stable place to call home. The Bissell Centre has a spectrum of services that aim to provide housing and the necessary wraparound support to those who are in need. The Housing Outreach Team at Bissell Centre is one form of housing support offered by Bissell Centre. Other housing programs offered include Homeless to Homes and Community Bridge. Candace Noble, Director of Housing and Outreach with Bissell Centre, shared more about the work being done.  

How does your organization as well as the people you serve define homelessness or houselessness? 

In terms of the definition of houselessness, it can vary by program but because we’re deeply rooted in the Housing First Program, we have started using the word houseless, so that’s the preferred term at Bissell Centre right now. It’s probably most widely accepted at Bissell Centre that a person that’s houseless would not have their name on a legal document entitling them to a place, such as not having their name on a lease agreement. 

I think it’s really individualized in terms of how people see their situations so I think we would categorize somebody that’s couch surfing as being houseless, but they might not in their specific circumstance. It’s very individualized how folks would define their own situation.  

Could you give a brief overview of what the Housing Outreach Team does?  

Our Outreach Housing Team in its current form has six housing outreach workers. The outreach workers provide housing first services so they’re interacting with community members that have been chronically or episodically experiencing homelessness.  

They are housing folks that often have co-morbidities, in the form of untreated mental health diagnoses or substance use disorder. They would help them find independent market housing and set them up with furniture and utilities. The team helps with startup groceries [ie: pantry staples and first month’s groceries] and then they refer folks out to a housing first case management team that would provide them with wraparound support for a year at least. 

There is an addition to the Outreach Housing Team called Diversion. At Bissell Centre, we refer to that as a diversion from chronic homelessness. It means diverting folks from requiring that intensive support of the housing first program.  

Their goal is to meet anyone in the community that has a housing need and support them with whatever that need is. It’s a really individualized program and started initially filling gaps in the community as it existed in terms of housing services. We continue to do housing workshops, our staff will go to places like WIN House and provide housing services to individuals staying there, helping them to move out. Edmonton Public Library is a big partner for us in terms of providing our diversion services. There’s lots of diversity in the need that comes to those workshops, for example, we’ll get folks that are coming with landlord issues for mediation or conflict resolution, or we’ll get people that are facing eviction due to arrears or utility debt.  

What are some barriers people experience when they’re trying to obtain housing?  

Because we work with folks across the entire spectrum of needing housing it’s varied. We’re working with folks that are sleeping outside and trying to move those folks inside to shelter or temporary housing and the reality of it is that our shelter system is not exhaustive. A barrier for folks sleeping outside is consistent contact and their daily fight for survival. Trying to maintain their lives, and their basic needs on a daily basis. It’s hard to think forward when you’re so caught up in having to survive that day.  

Documentation is a huge piece. Barriers to identification, landlord references, income, those things are huge. Our team tries to help with all of those things. For example, in order to get Alberta Supports right now, you really need to have a phone in order to have an application be approved. 

Our community has really struggled to implement enough permanent supportive housing. We’ve committed to obtaining a certain number of 500 units I believe, but we’ve encountered lots of barriers whether that’s funding from different levels of government or land use. There’s a large portion of people in our community that are needing permanent support and we don’t have the facilities right now to be able to provide them with that level of care.  

How might having an untreated mental health diagnosis or substance use disorder become a barrier to accessing housing?  

There’s a lot of intersectionality between mental health and substance use and I don’t think that there’s a lot of resources available in our community to serve where those overlap. So, I don’t think it’s as huge a barrier in terms of programs getting folks into housing, but it makes housing retention a challenge. There are really big challenges in terms of finding appropriate services and levels of care for people. As there is with any social issue. It’s hard determining whose responsibility it is. Is this a healthcare, social disorder, or community agency issue? Whose responsibility is it to serve this demographic and what resources do you have to make it happen? We really struggle with that in terms of housing retention.  

Housing First is an incredible program and it has the ability to meet people where they’re at and move them into housing without requiring any levels of compliance, really having a person-centered delivery model. But that person still has to exist in a community and has to live in a market housing setting. Often, we don’t have the resources to provide them with the support they need for that to go well. 

How can we shift the conversation to create more inclusive spaces both for folks who are moved into housing but also for those that are still experiencing being unhoused?  

Part of the stigma comes from concentration. If you have 100 people that are experiencing the same barriers and you put them all into a small area together that is going to exacerbate issues. The affordable apartments and the services are downtown, so we concentrate folks downtown. The big thing that we need to do to create inclusion in our broader communities is just to let people know that folks experiencing challenges are already existing in their community. The reason that you don’t see them is because they’re not hanging out together.  

We [society] don’t create a lot of relationships. I think the biggest piece to inclusion is looking at ways that folks that are integrating into communities can experience reciprocity. I don’t think belonging really happens until you feel like you’ve had the chance to contribute something or feel needed in some way in that relationship.  

Are there things that the broader community can do to help support folks that are either experiencing homelessness or that are recently housed?  

There’s lots that every individual can do in their everyday life towards reconciliation. That’s a huge part of this work, specifically given the disproportionate number of folks that are Indigenous and experience issues related to poverty and homelessness. My biggest recommendation to anybody: be a better neighbour or a better community member in general. Know that history, read those recommendations, and figure out how you can implement even one of them in your daily life, your daily interactions. 

Everybody actually does have something to offer. It doesn’t have to be monetary or anything that seems outrageous, but if you’re open to it everybody does have something to offer in terms of reciprocity. Being open and recognizing the humanness of everybody is so important.  

What is one thing you really want people to take away from the work that’s being done?  

Housing is a right. Having a right doesn’t mean that everybody is given the same thing, equality is not equity, and some people need a little bit more resources and support to get to the same place as somebody else.  

Folks can’t begin to be on a journey toward self-actualization where they can reach their full potential and contribute their full selves to their family and their community without having their basic needs met. A living wage and a safe and adequate place to live for example. It’s pretty tragic that we still haven’t gotten there where we can provide that level of equity in our communities. We often look at people that ‘don’t have’ as being at fault for that in some way, but it’s a collective responsibility. We have a responsibility in order to provide those basic levels of care for folks.  

If you would like to learn more about Bissell Centre check out their website. (bissellcentre.org) 

 

Note: This is an excerpt from our September 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here

 

Amanda Labonte is a registered social worker and is Edmonton Social Planning Council’s Project Coordinator: Research Services and Capacity Building AND Volunteer Coordinator 

 

 

[/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022_10_19_Bissell_Centre_Housing_is_a_Right_and_a_Collective_Responsibility.mp3″ title=”Listen to the Article” album_name=”Audio Recording” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”2022_10_19_Bissell_Centre_Housing_is_a_Right_and_a_Collective_Responsibility” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_audio][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2022_10_19_Bissell_Centre_Housing_is_a_Right_and_a_Collective_Responsibility.mp3″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the Audio Recording Here” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#A6C942″ button_border_color=”#A6C942″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TerraCentre.mp3″ title=”Listen to the Article” album_name=”Audio Recording” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_audio][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TerraCentre.mp3″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the Audio Recording Here” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#A6C942″ button_border_color=”#A6C942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

By Amanda Labonte and Jenna Robinson

 

Karen Mottershead is the Executive Director of the Terra Centre, a non-profit organization that helps pregnant and parenting teens with a broad range of supports to be successful parents. She discussed some of the work that Terra Centre does and emphasized the importance of housing with us. The Terra Centre can impact the lives of both the parent and child – sometimes in large ways, sometimes in small ways. Mottershead shared how some alumni talk about ‘coming home’ – seeing Terra Centre as a place of safety and security even after they leave. There is a lot of pride and a sense of accomplishment for many of the young adults who graduate, in some cases they are the first members of their family to graduate high school.  

Historically the focus for Terra Centre has been educational attainment by helping moms primarily with completing their high school education. (1) Today, Terra Centre has grown and offers far more resources and support, providing evidence that they understand how various challenges can and do intersect. Mottershead explained how the benefit and value of finishing school are immense but require a lot of support and resources and that becomes especially challenging when a person does not have housing and even more challenging when a young person becomes a parent. The immediacy of housing intersects with educational attainment for youth.  

When working with young adults, it is important to remember that developmentally, they live in the present and often do not plan long term. This can lead to school not being deemed a high priority. She explained that it is important for youth to have immediate housing access because when they are ready to return to school, they can register immediately and not have to worry about where they are going to live. Terra Centre has a very deep understanding of the stage of development that young parents are at, and can offer a meaningful level of support to meet the unique needs, and understand what kinds of approaches work best to support young families. 

Terra Centre uses wrap-around supports, when a young adult receives housing, they also get a support worker. When a student enters the Braemar school, a school just for parenting teens, Terra Centre has ensured that there are multiple services at the school to meet their needs. This includes an onsite daycare, immunization nurses that come in, support workers and more.  

There are complicated challenges for youth trying to obtain housing, particularly if a young adult is under the age of 18. Barriers for youth include legal aspects of signing off on lease agreements, getting utilities hooked up, and negative perceptions of young people by landlords. There continues to be a community stigma around young people being irresponsible, having wild parties or that they are ‘going to trash the place.’ 

Mottershead stated this has not been the experience of Terra Centre staff working with young people, and instead is quite the opposite; these parents care deeply and want stability for their children, much like the rest of the population. Terra Centre staff spend a substantial amount of time around advocacy working to acquire housing that is safe, stable and in a positive community.  

Many young parents have experienced a lot of trauma in their lives. They see personal and emotional safety as a primary need that is very difficult to acquire. Many of the young people grew up living in subsidized housing, communities that exist in poverty, low-income housing, and experienced unsafe living environments. When young parents become pregnant, they want a different experience for their child. 

One partnership in particular is crucial to what Terra Centre does. The Brentwood Partnership Housing Program “helps families build skills, resiliency and complete their education in a safe, stable and affordable environment. As the families move through the phases of our program they transition from needing help to a place of self-sufficiency. It’s our goal to see them model those skills to the children they are raising helping us to break the poverty cycle for 2 generations in one program.” (2) There are about 27 families currently living at the housing complex, with many staying there for over two years, and this can be their forever home because they do not have to leave at any given time.  

As we discussed the stigma and community perceptions of young people who have children and how this creates challenges and barriers, Mottershead stated that the stigma for young dads is often deeper than young moms. There are societal perceptions that young dads are ‘dead beat dads, don’t want to be involved, or walked away from their child(ren).’ Young dads are an important part of the story, and they have an important role to play in the life of their children. The role of Terra Centre is to help support parental relationships for the benefit of the child, even if the parents are no longer in a partnered relationship. Terra Centre has a unique approach in that they have outreach workers who work specifically with young dads. (1) 

Karen Mottershead shared a photovoice research project undertaken by Terra Centre through the Successful Famililes Housing Program. During the project, every week families had a different theme, they would take pictures and explain how that picture related to the theme. Karen shared a story of how one week the theme was safety and one of the participants submitted a picture of a door.  

The comment from the parent was that this is the first time they could shut a door and feel safe. It was fundamental to have a door. 

Community sensitivity is needed to reduce the negative perceptions young parents experience because parenting at any age is hard. Unhelpful and hurtful comments and gestures by the public to young parents are painful and negatively impacts their sense of self in terms of their capacity, who they are, and how they’ll move forward in life. Parents are doing the best they can and a gentle word would be nice and acknowledge the youth is a parent, and everyone is trying to do their best job. Young people want to feel validated in their roles and these small gestures of support could make such a difference. 

Mottershead expressed her hope that members in the community would start seeing the potential and promise of young parents as opposed to seeing a negative or deficit. That can be done through kind words, supporting Terra Centre, or different organizations. 

To learn more:  

www.terracentre.ca 

 

Note: This is an excerpt from our September 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here

 

 

 

Amanda Labonte is ESPC Project coordinator for research services and capacity building, as well as ESPC volunteer coordinator.  

Jenna Robinson was the Research Assistant with ESPC in the summer of 2022 and has since moved to Calgary to complete her Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include criminalized and victimized women, intersectionality, and anti-racism. 

 

 

References: 

1. Terra Centre Centre. (n.d.). What is Terra Centre? https://Terra Centrecentre.ca/what-is-Terra Centre/ 
2. Brentwood Community Development Group. (2022). Program information. https://brentwoodgroup.ca/about/program-information/ 

[/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Energy_Poverty.mp3″ title=”Listen to the Article” album_name=”Audio Recording” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”Energy_Poverty” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_audio][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Energy_Poverty.mp3″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the Audio Recording Here” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#A6C942″ button_border_color=”#A6C942″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

By Sydney Sheloff

 

What is energy poverty?  

Energy poverty is the experience of households struggling to meet their energy needs, including heating and cooling their homes, and powering lights and appliances (Empower Me, 2018; CUSP, n.d.). The average Canadian spends less than 3% of their after-tax income on home heating and electricity. According to Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (CUSP) households that spend double this (6%) are considered to be living in energy poverty (n.d.).    

50,765 Edmonton households – that’s 16% – live in energy poverty. This varies across the city, 36% of residents in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood experience energy poverty, whereas only 8.3% in Ellerslie do (CUSP, n.d.). A variety of factors influence this. Households in Alberta Avenue have lower incomes than those in Ellerslie ($60K vs. $104K). In addition, houses in Alberta Avenue are older (86% were built before 1991) and more likely to need major repairs (17% vs. 0%). 

People who own homes are more likely to live in energy poverty (20-30%) than those who rent (14%). This is likely because a) those who rent often have energy costs included in their rent, and b) renters tend to live in smaller apartments and row housing that requires less energy to heat. However, renters whose utilities are not included in their rent are most likely to experience energy poverty. People that live in single detached housing also have a much higher likelihood of experiencing energy poverty (Empower Me, 2018). 

Energy poverty is not isolated to people living with low income. In fact, two-thirds of those living in energy poverty are not considered to be living in low income. People with higher incomes are more likely to be living in larger homes that cost more to heat (Empower Me, 2018). At the same time, lower-income families are more likely to be in homes that, while smaller, have poor insulation and are therefore hard to heat, as well often live in homes in major need of repairs (ODPHP, 2020). While low-income families may be less likely to experience energy poverty, they feel its effects much more harshly. 

What are the effects of energy poverty?  

Living in energy poverty has many negative consequences on the lives of families. Families may choose to keep their homes at lower temperatures, which is uncomfortable. Living in cold homes also has negative health consequences, such as higher rates of respiratory problems and high susceptibility to illness for children (EmPower Me, 2018). Families may have to sacrifice other important needs, such as groceries and medication, to pay for energy (CUSP, n.d.).  

One of the most extreme consequences of energy poverty is having one’s power shut off. This has incredibly negative impacts on people’s health and quality of life. Losing refrigeration means food and medications can go bad and makes it so that families cannot cook food. A lack of hot water makes hygiene difficult (Cummings, 2022; CUSP, n.d.). As essential services, work, and school move online, not being able to power electronics or Wi-Fi routers makes these things inaccessible. Children can fall behind in school, and adults risk losing their jobs.  

Living in energy poverty is incredibly stressful. Families need to make tough choices about what they power and when, and live under the fear that they could lose all power if they make a wrong choice. Above all, it greatly impacts a family’s sense of dignity.  

What is happening in Edmonton?  

The Government of Alberta has rules in place to ensure households do not lose heat in the cold winter months. Between October 15 and April 15, limiters are installed instead of a full disconnection (Cummings, 2022). These limiters allow families to have enough energy to power their necessities – such as their furnace, fridge, a few lights, and one 

small appliance. Anecdotes show that families are forced to stop using their ovens, stoves, washers, and dryers as these appliances use too much power. If people go over the ‘limit’ their power will suddenly go off, and they have to either manually restart their meter, or if they have a meter with remote capabilities, wait 15-30 minutes for it to automatically restart (Edwardson, 2022).  

Once summer hits, if these families have not caught up on bills, they risk losing power altogether. This has been the reality for 200 Edmontonians in 2022 (Cummings, 2022). As described above, losing power greatly affects these families’ ability to meet their basic needs – storing and cooking food, washing clothes, taking care of personal hygiene – and sacrifices their dignity. 

EPCOR claims that disconnection is always a “last resort” after they have exhausted all other attempts at resolving balances (Cummings, 2022). From a human rights approach, is it ever okay to take away someone’s power? The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7 calls for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. Energy is essential for people’s physical and mental well-being, and as such, can be considered a fundamental human need (Shyu, 2021). Energy is currently unaffordable for many Edmontonians, this is a breach of their rights. 

What can be done?  

There are programs in place to address energy poverty, but these are not sufficient. The province of Alberta promised automatic $50 electricity rebates, but in the face of a rising cost of living, this barely makes a dent in families’ monthly budgets, let alone allows them to pay off debts (Cummings, 2022). Upgrades to make homes more energy efficient are a great way to reduce energy costs. However, if families cannot afford their monthly bills, it is unlikely they can afford home upgrades. Programs such as Empower Me offer home upgrades to help lower energy costs, but these are geared to people who own their homes and are out of reach for many renters and low-income families.  

We need to instate policies to ensure all people living in Canada have access to their basic energy needs. In South Africa, vulnerable households have access to 50kWh per month as Free Basic Electrification (Shyu, 2021). Governments in Canada could instate a similar system to ensure all families can power their essential needs. Investing in renewable energy sources would make energy more affordable. Overall, governments in Canada, and Edmonton specifically, need to reconceptualize energy as a fundamental human need and put policies in place to ensure everyone has access. 

Note: This is an excerpt from our September 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here

 

Sources 

Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners (n.d.). The many faces of energy poverty in Canada. https://energypoverty.ca/  

CUSP. (n.d.). Energy poverty and equity explorers.  https://energypoverty.ca/mappingtool/  

Cummings, M. (2022, July 8). Epcor has shut off power for 200 Edmonton customers since winter disconnection ban ended. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/epcor-has-shut-off-power-200-edmonton-customers-1.6514114?utm_source=Taproot+Edmonton&utm_campaign=fd3dec5df4-TAPROOTYEG_PULSE_2022_07_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ef1adf0932-fd3dec5df4-421442804&mc_cid=fd3dec5df4&mc_eid=02b4567cf4  

EmPower me (2018). Energy Poverty in Alberta: 2018. https://www.empowermeprogram.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Energy-Poverty-in-Alberta.pdf  

Edwardson, Lucie (March 21, 2022). ‘I don’t wish it on my worst enemy’: Calgarians detail life with an electricity load limiter. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/utility-bills-electricity-limiters-calgary-1.6388949  

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) (2020). Quality of Housing. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/quality-of-housing  

Shyu, Chian-Woei. (2021).  A framework for ‘right to energy’ to meet UN SDG7: Policy implications to meet basic human energy needs, eradicate energy poverty, enhance energy justice, and uphold energy democracy. Energy Research and Social Science 79. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629621002929  

[/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Fix_Housing_Market.mp3″ title=”Listen to the Article” album_name=”Audio Recording” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_audio][et_pb_button button_text=”Download the Audio Recording Here” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#A6C942″ button_bg_enable_color=”on” sticky_enabled=”0″ url_new_window=”on” button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Fix_Housing_Market.mp3″ button_border_color=”#A6C942″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

By Lexia Simmons, ESPC Volunteer

 

Home prices have risen 20.6% from 2018 to 2021 (Statistics Canada, 2022a), with reduced access to affordable housing. Countries, provinces, states, and municipalities have been researching, innovating, and implementing different programs to make housing more affordable. As stated by the Department of Finance Canada (2022), “Everyone should have a safe and affordable place to call home.” This article will begin with a municipality that has chosen to view the housing crisis through an innovative lens and then will focus on the strategies different municipalities have taken in solving the problems a lack of supply in the housing market has caused.  

The City of Kitchener (2020) in Ontario developed a housing affordability program called Housing for All. The program includes seven main priorities; however, the City of Kitchener has identified some priorities that are new and not addressed in other municipal housing programs. Those priorities include a concentration on education around affordable housing. The idea is to shift the community mindset to housing as a human right and reduce the mentality of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) that has gripped and slowed down affordable housing programs in neighborhoods that need it. The City of Kitchener is also committed to lived experience collaboration, allowing those most impacted by the lack of housing to be a part of the solution. Finally, the last innovative priority is the commitment to developing more community housing and facilitating partnerships between the non-profit sector and developers to create innovative solutions to help make the housing market more affordable. Although these are not core activities, they are a framework in which Kitchener is planning on moving forward with housing affordability. A theme identified in Kitchener, as well as other municipalities, is the lack of housing supply. A lack of basic supply and increased demand means a reduced housing supply which will inevitably drive the cost of housing up. The following will outline solutions across North America on increasing the housing supply. 

The first factor was increasing housing construction. One of the most significant barriers to housing construction is the rising cost. According to Statistics Canada, residential building construction increased 5.6% in the first quarter of 2022, with Calgary having the highest increase at 6.9%, followed by Edmonton and Toronto, up to 6.8% (Statistics Canada, 2022b). Many municipalities have embraced modular housing to drive down the increasing cost of construction. Modular Homes are homes built indoors in a home construction factory (Quality Homes, 2020). The parts of these homes (modules) are transported to their new location and assembled by tradespeople on an already poured and treated foundation. The City of Toronto (2019), as part of its HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan, has also committed to creating 1,000 modular homes in Toronto. The City of Vancouver (n.d.) has also identified modular homes as a type of housing that can be constructed more quickly and provide immediate relief to people without homes. Vancouver built around 663 units in modular housing buildings, which not only supplies housing, but also provides individuals with two meals a day, and opportunities to connect with community groups, volunteer opportunities, and social events. Vancouver identified that modular housing could be constructed in about three months on vacant, underused sites across the city and can be relocated and reconfigured to fit different locations. It can also provide immediate relief, and the right supports until permanent social housing is available. Modular housing can create a sense of community, amenity space, and connections with the neighborhood. 

Another barrier to housing construction is the single-family zoning that limits the ability to increase housing units. In Toronto, 62.3% of residential land is exclusively zoned for detached houses; 80.5% in Vancouver, 67.2% in Calgary, 69.3% in Edmonton, and 45.8% in Montreal (Sun, n.d.). The City of Minneapolis identified that single-family zoning resulted in a lower supply of homes and perpetuated systematic disparities between racialized and non-racialized communities. As a result, they eliminated single-family zoning and allowed at least three residential units in each parcel of land, previously reserved for only single-family homes (Minneapolis City of Lakes, n.d.). The decrease in single-family housing enables the building of more multiunit and multi-use buildings that can allow for a greater supply of housing, resulting in greater accessibility and, in turn, greater affordability. With a change in zoning, developers can build more multi-unit homes; however, it also allows homeowners to create multi-unit homes themselves.  

The City of Edmonton (n.d.a) did change some zoning areas across the city to allow for the creation of Garden Suites which are single, or two-story structures built in the back yards of single detached homes, semi-detached homes, and row houses that have their own living room, bathroom and kitchen.  The City of Edmonton (n.d.b) first introduced the concept of Garden Suites in 2017 and has continued to update the bylaw as recently as 2020 to allow it to become more accessible; however, it still does not go as far as Minneapolis does in making Garden Suites an option for all houses across the city. The City of Vancouver (2021) has also created secondary dwellings; they are one of the first cities to allow two secondary dwellings on the property, one attached to the main house and the other laneway housing, which is helping to increase the supply of housing in the city. 

Changing the zoning to increase housing is one step in the right direction to allow for a greater supply of housing in the market; with the rising cost of inflation and everyday financial and time commitments families are facing, finding the capital and time to develop these homes may not be feasible. The City of Pasadena in California is addressing this issue by creating an affordable housing initiative that helps homeowners with assistance in the financing, designing, permission, and constructing new Additional Dwelling Units (ADUS) (Pasadena, Department of Housing, n.d.). Another initiative that helps to combat this barrier is in Atlanta. Backyard ATL is a project undertaken by Eightvillage where they invest in additional Dwelling Units in partnership with homeowners to make ADUS more accessible to the general population (Backyard ATL, n.d.). Additional Dwelling Units increase the supply of livable homes in the market which should push down the price and make homes more affordable. 

There is no one solution to the housing crisis in Canada, and this article has only addressed innovation around the lack of housing supply. There needs to be a continued conversation around other factors that impact housing affordability. Moreover, there may be lessons learned further than those found in North America. Housing is one of the most significant crises of our generation. Governments, non-profits, and private companies are doing great things to help with the housing crisis; however, it will take a lot of varied solutions and trial and error to get it right.  

Note: This is an excerpt from our September 2022 Community Matters, you can read the full publication here

Did You Enjoy this Article? Please provide feedback here

Lexia Simmons is a certified educator with a passion for social issues. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts and Education degree and worked for non-profit, government offices, schools, and EdTech companies. Lexia aspires to use her educational background to help break down complicated policy issues into easy-to-understand parts. 

 

References 

Backyard ATL. (n.d.). Eightvillage. https://eightvillage.com/byatl. 

City of Edmonton. (n.d.a.). Garden suites. https://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/garden-suites.  

City of Edmonton. (n.d.b.). In suite buildability. https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/urban_planning_and_design/garden-suite-buildability.  

City of Kitchener. (December 2020). Housing for all: A blueprint for a more caring community. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/strategic-plans-and-projects/housing-for-all.aspx. 

City of Toronto. (2019, December). Housing TO: 2020-2030 action plan. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/94f0-housing-to-2020-2030-action-plan-housing-secretariat.pdf. 

City of Vancouver. (2021, March 24). Laneway housing how-to guide. https://bylaws.vancouver.ca/bulletin/bulletin-laneway-housing-guide.pdf. 

City of Vancouver. (n.d.). Temporary modular housing. https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/temporary-modular-housing.aspx. 

Department of Finance Canada. (2022, April 7). Making housing more affordable. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2022/04/making-housing-more-affordable.html. 

Minneapolis City of Lakes. (n.d.). Housing. Minneapolis 2040. https://minneapolis2040.com/topics/housing/#topic-policies-anchor. 

Pasadena, Department of Housing. (n.d.). Pasadena second unit ADU program. https://www.cityofpasadena.net/housing/second-unit-adu-program/#:~:text=The%20Pasadena%20Second%20Unit%20ADU,Dwelling%20Unit%20(ADU)%20loan. 

Quality Homes. (2020, February 26). What exactly does modular mean. https://qualityhomes.ca/blog/what-exactly-does-modular-mean/. 

Statistics Canada. (2022a, July 21). Housing challenges remain for vulnerable populations in 2021. The Daily. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220721/dq220721b-eng.htm. 

Statistics Canada. (2022b, May, 5). Building construction price indexes, first quarter 2022. The Daily. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220505/dq220505b-eng.htm. 

Sun, Y. (n.d.). A visual guide to detached house zones in 5 Canadian cities. DataLABTO. http://www.datalabto.ca/a-visual-guide-to-detached-houses-in-5-canadian-cities/. 

[/et_pb_text][dmpro_button_grid _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][/dmpro_button_grid][dmpro_image_hotspot _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/dmpro_image_hotspot][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”||||||||” custom_margin=”||3px|||” border_color_bottom=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_post_title][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COLOUR-BLOCKS_spaced-300×51.png” title_text=”COLOUR BLOCKS_spaced” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.7.7″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”100%” max_height=”75px” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”10px|0px|20px|0px|false|false” global_module=”96648″ global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_text_color=”#2b303a” custom_padding=”||32px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Community-Matters-September-2022-1.pdf” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Download the September 2022 Community Matters (PDF)” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#008ac1″ custom_margin=”||19px|||” custom_padding=”||5px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ text_text_color=”#2b303a” text_line_height=”1.6em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#008ac1″ header_2_font_size=”24px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”justified” width=”100%” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”25px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]

Note: This is excerpted from the September 2022 edition of our Community Matters publication. 

Welcome to the third issue of our new quarterly publication, Community Matters.

Community Matters aims to inform the community about social issues that impact citizens and connect the dots between social issues, evidence, and policy. We aim to use this space to give a voice to local agencies, ESPC volunteer writers, and staff members alike.

Each edition will spotlight a specific social issue and demonstrate the intersectional nature and impact on equality. Our goal is to use evidence as we continue to inform on the issues affecting individuals and families.

For our Fall 2022 issue, we are focusing on housing, shelters, and the state of houselessness in Edmonton.

Housing is recognized as an international human right. Nevertheless, we have fallen quite short in fulfilling these rights when it comes to providing adequate, affordable, and suitable housing. Houselessness has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many important gains that have been achieved in reducing the number of people who are unhoused prior to 2020 were erased within the span of two years. While pandemic supports such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) prevented many people from losing their housing, the ending of these supports places those living in financial uncertainty at risk.

Those who live without housing or are facing some level of housing insecurity are disproportionately members of marginalized groups. This issue strives to capture some of the housing challenges faced by these marginalized peoples as well as some of the agencies striving to support them. We were pleased to have a number of social agencies that incorporate housing and shelter needs as part of their services, join this edition including Old Strathcona Youth Society, Bissell Centre, Terra Centre, and the Edmonton Pride Senior Group Society.

Addressing housing needs is crucial towards building a just and inclusive society. We hope this issue will help build more awareness around the diverse and intersectional housing needs of marginalized populations and work towards solutions that provide housing for all.

– Susan Morrissey, Executive Director

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|20px|0px|20px|false|false” border_color_left=”#a6c942″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_testimonial author=”Posted by:” job_title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiIiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl93ZWJzaXRlIn19@” portrait_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3JfcHJvZmlsZV9waWN0dXJlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnt9fQ==@” quote_icon=”off” portrait_width=”125px” portrait_height=”125px” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”job_title,portrait_url” _module_preset=”default” body_text_color=”#000000″ author_font=”||||||||” author_text_align=”center” author_text_color=”#008ac1″ position_font=”||||||||” position_text_color=”#000000″ company_text_color=”#000000″ background_color=”#ffffff” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”0px|0px|4px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”32px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0.65)” header_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”48px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jYXRlZ29yaWVzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiUmVsYXRlZCBjYXRlZ29yaWVzOiAgIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6ImNhdGVnb3J5In19@[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]