Poverty issues worsen in the Hat

By COLLIN GALLANT on October 8, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

The head of the city’s homelessness effort is predicting a dramatic rise this winter at the same time her organization is stretched for funds and is facing “a brunt of criticism” in the community for increasing social problems.

Jaime Rogers, head of Medicine Hat Community Housing, surprised attendees to the Vital Signs online luncheon with an impassioned plea for more support and understanding.

“We know there is an increase in people sleeping rough – I’ve seen it, you’ve seen it – and there will be a further increase,” she predicted for this winter as more people move into poverty and homelessness.

At the same time, Medicine Hat Community Housing and other anti-poverty groups are struggling after 20 months of increased workload, and the the situation is worsening, said Rogers.

She confirmed for the first time that a COVID outbreak at the Salvation Army’s overnight shelter involved at least 17 clients, “not including staff.”

She says her group is now seen in the community as being solely able to manage problems that are complex and increasing.

“Please challenge your biases,” she said, stating drug addiction and poverty are increasingly affecting the general population, not just those Hatters might think of as ‘homeless.’

As for chronic system users, “We can’t force someone into housing as much as you can’t force someone to go into rehab,” she said.

The comments came at this year’s Vital Signs luncheon.

The annual report is coupled with a report by the Community Foundation of Southeast Alberta looking at local issues, which this year focuses on community action and support during the pandemic.

The report and online meeting focused on housing, employment, mental health and food security, with guest speakers outlining past and ongoing efforts, and a look at future planning.

The event also included a generally upbeat presentation on support for the business community and warnings from other agencies against a belief that the effects of the pandemic are behind us.

“We know that we’ve struggled, but we’ve also learned a lot about our resiliency,” said Breanne Mellen, a local suicide prevention co-ordinator with Canadian Mental Health Association. “We’re still in the pandemic, and all the stressers are still here. It will be important to (keep accessing) these programs we have in place.”

Rogers’ presentation however, provided a raw look at how her organization and the population it serves has dealt with the pandemic.

“It has been a year of unprecedented loss and grief,” she said. Beyond COVID and other deaths by natural causes, “there has been an unconscionable level of suicide,” she said.

She also said special funding from the province was given in late 2020 to operate a day-use shelter to support those with nowhere else to go as business capacity was restricted and many public buildings closed. However, the day shelter was a focal point of criticism at two locations and city planning commission decisions before it closed in August.

Funding has not been renewed, she said, while imploring others in the meeting to lobby on that and other funding issues.

“Every day has been a battle for basic human rights to be offered to these people,” she said.

Previous to the shelter outbreak, Community Housing recorded 67 cases in people they deal with in or out of supportive housing, and “as many cases” in the general population as it was relied upon to provide so-called “hotel quarantine” to those with housing but without options for isolation.

“We serve the entire community,” said Rogers. “Medicine Hat was one of the only centres in Alberta without commercial isolation supports from the province.”

Representatives with Invest Medicine Hat and Apex Alberta discussed support given to business owners, and a food security presentation was provided by members of the local Community Food Connections Association.

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