Local MLA to co-chair panel on homeless problems

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 21, 2024.

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright has been named to the province’s panel looking to meet the needs of Albertans experiencing homelessness.

The provincial government announced Friday it will be streamlining grant administration for housing with supports and providing provincial funding directly to frontline service providers, including Indigenous-led organizations.

The government says it has also begun to assemble a panel to help shape the province’s long-term approach to combatting homelessness. The panel, co-chaired by Wright, will advise the province on how to continue to reduce homelessness across Alberta.

“I am honoured to be appointed as co-chair of the panel, and I look forward to undertaking this important work,” Wright said in a release. “It is critical that rural communities have the supports they need to appropriately address homelessness to achieve better outcomes for those seeking help.”

Robin James, the chief administrative officer of the Lethbridge Housing Authority, is also on the panel, with additional members to be announced at a later date.

In the release, the Alberta government says in 2023-24, more than 8,000 Albertans were provided with housing and supports, including 1,800 people newly admitted to housing programs.

“Our government has invested an unprecedented amount of funding and effort into addressing homelessness in Alberta,” Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, said in the release. “As shown by the success of our navigation centres and other innovative approaches, our government’s efforts to better co-ordinate supports are making a positive difference for vulnerable Albertans.

“I look forward to expanding our valuable partnerships with front-line service agencies across the province as we continue to follow through on our commitments.”

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