The city and the Mustard Seed have agreed to begin considering utilizing a city-owned property at 2055 Saamis Dr. NW as a potential location for a new homeless shelter.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
The city and Mustard Seed on Thursday announced common ground on a potential location for a new permanent homeless shelter, which would be located in a city-owned property more than five kilometres from the downtown core.
The potential new shelter would be located at 2055 Saamis Dr. NW, located off the Trans-Canada Highway near the Brier Industrial Estates and few blocks south of Box Springs Road.
The agreement follows lengthy back-and-forth discussion between the Mustard Seed, city staff and officials and the province after the Mustard Seed was forced to close its overnight shelter on Allowance Avenue in February.
At the request of Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright, the city and the Mustard Seed have been working together over the past six months to determine a suitable location for a permanent shelter.
According to a release, both parties have agreed to explore the property as a new potential location, as the current long-term tenant of the property has decided to relocate.
“Providing a timely opportunity to repurpose the property for the shelter at a single location,” states the press release. “With the winter months approaching, staff from both the City of Medicine Hat and the Mustard Seed are moving quickly to secure a suitable location for shelter services.”
“This milestone reflects the longstanding spirit of collaboration in our community,” said Jamie Rogers, manager of homeless and housing development at Medicine Hat Community Housing Society. “Securing access to a 24/7 shelter with appropriate support for individuals facing housing instability is a vital step forward.”
Moving forward, several recommendations will be coming down the pipeline for city councillors, as the clock is ticking until cooler temperatures begin creeping in, such as the approval of the application to rezone the property and a development permit application from the Mustard Seed.
“We are very excited to have reached this point in our joint discussions, particularly with winter just around the corner,” said Mayor Linnsie Clark. “We’re looking forward to further collaboration with the Mustard Seed and other partners to ensure this important service operates successfully in our community.”
These issues are expected to come before council this fall, potentially providing a new city council the opportunity to debate the merits of the proposed locations and hear feedback form the community through public hearings.
According to Google Maps, the location of the new shelter would be a nine-minute car ride, and more than 1.25 hour walk from the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub, more than six kilometres from the proposed location.
The nearest bus stop along Route 11, located at Third Street NW and Brier Park Road NW, is a 30-minute walk from the proposed shelter location.
The nearest grocery story or pharmacy, Northlands Co-op, is more than an hour by foot. The hospital is two hours on foot, while the nearest medical clinic is about 1.5 hours on foot.
