Reality check needed to realize how bad homeless situation is in Medicine Hat

By Letter to the Editor on January 6, 2018.

I would like to applaud the recent articles that Gillian Slade wrote regarding homelessness in Medicine Hat.

It is alive and doing well.

While most of us take for granted shelter, and warmth, we need to remember there is a large group of people in our community that suffer from bitterly cold conditions of winter, who wander aimlessly looking for some form of shelter.

I have observed many people in the downtown, sheltering in doorways waiting for business to open just to keep warm.

We are led to believe there are no homeless in Medicine Hat; not true, the 15 who were reported over the Christmas period is in my opinion much higher.

This is a group of people who need the help of all of us to end their plight of not having permanent shelter.

The city and local politicians really need a reality check on how bad the problem is.

The Salvation Army, the Champion Centre and Community Housing do a wonderful job of tackling this problem

They are all totally committed to ending homelessness but funding for this problem is nowhere near enough. Fundraising projects are great but not sustainable for this issue.

So I suggest a reality check on this subject and face the facts of what is really needed to assist the homeless — compassion, understanding and, above all, adequate funding to actually end homelessness.

Rita J. Bessant

Medicine Hat

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