Advocates work to close winter service gaps for homeless

By KENDALL KING, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on November 19, 2021.

kking@medicinehatnews.com

As the weather gets colder, many Hatters settle inside their houses, but for some, that’s not an option.

In the Medicine Hat community, there still exists individuals experiencing homelessness. While frigid temperatures can pose a threat to individuals’ health, Medicine Hat Community Housing Society’s homeless and housing development manager, Jaime Rogers, confirms there are adequate resources within the city to keep the homeless population out of the cold and connect them with permanent housing if sought.

“In terms of our response for our homeless individuals over the winter, we have regular programming that follows through year-round,” Rogers told the News. “Our Salvation Army is open 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, then we have the Salvation Army Resource Centre available to individuals to access Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then the Salvation Army Shelter is open on the weekend 24 hours.

“We do have a gap in service right now from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (weekdays), which we’re working on closing and we should have resolved in the next couple weeks.”

Rogers explains beyond the Salvation Army, there are numerous community services for individuals experiencing homelessness, or those in need, such as the Medicine Hat Public Library, The Mustard Seed, the Root Cellar, Miywasin Friendship Centre, AHS, local churches, etc. Basic needs like washrooms, food and clothing, among others can be accessed or provided through many of these services.

Even with the services and programs available, Rogers hopes Hatters will continue to support the homeless population throughout the winter season.

“It’s important that everyone knows where to direct that individual and where to go to keep them out of the elements so they can get connected quickly and back into housing,” she said. “Housing is a fundamental human right regardless of how people got to that state of their housing situation.

“I think it’s our community’s responsibility to make sure everybody feels like they belong and they do belong in our community. We never know people’s stories and what brought them to that state of homelessness.”

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