Overnight shelter future remains undetermined by city

By COLLIN GALLANT on August 31, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

The future of an overnight homeless shelter in Medicine Hat is still being hammered out as the current shelter is now up for sale, and there’s no public plan to replace it, a city committee heard Monday.

This summer, the Mustard Seed withdrew an application to redevelop a storefront on N. Railway Street after the planning commission and neighbours suggested a high impact to the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, the existing shelter location is now on the real estate market, said city administrators who say they are working on the issue.

“There is an ongoing conversation that we’re having with all parties,” said Brian Mastel, head of the city’s public services division, at Monday’s meeting.

“The province provides the funding, and we’re having discussions with the Salvation Army and the Mustard Seed, trying to get all parties to understand the situation in the community, knowing that overnight shelter is an important service … we’re active and involved in the discussion and looking to develop some sort of solution at least to get through the current situation.”

The Mustard Seed, which is contracted by the province to provide the service until the spring of 2023, did not comment when contracted by the News.

City councillors, who directed the community development department to look at the issue and potentially broker a solution, said they are watching the issue.

“There are a lot of concerns and I don’t want it to get to the point where it’s a crisis,” said committee chair, Coun. Ramona Robins. “We’ll keep a close eye on it. We’d like to have this as a standing (agenda) item until it’s resolved.”

Coun. Allison Knodel also said the issue needs to be addressed soon.

“Stating the obvious, I’m worried about winter coming,” she said.

Last spring the Mustard Seed took over offering overnight spaces to homeless people at the Centre of Hope location operated by the Salvation Army, which had plans to offer the property up for sale this autumn.

This summer the Mustard Seed applied to redevelop a storefront on S. Railway Street to become its new location, capable of receiving 25 people for overnight lodging, but closed during the day.

The city’s planning department suggested issuing a temporary permit to operate the space for one year while it did a larger planning overview of where shelters might be more suitable. (The building at 435 N. Railway was a controversial day shelter location in 2021).

After hearing concerns from neighbouring business owners the municipal planning commission tabled the application, asking the group to discuss mitigation plans with neighbouring businesses.

At the time, Mustard Seed executive director Collette Eirich defended her group’s existing plan to liaise with neighbours and deal with problems like loitering, litter and noise.

She also stated considering the amount of work and cost of redeveloping the property, a short-term permit might sink the proposal.

Eventually, the Mustard Seed withdrew the application.

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