File photo.
The Red Deer District Chamber has raised concerns following the city’s recent Point in Time (PiT) Homeless Count findings.
The PiT Count was held in October, and identified 766 people who are experiencing homelessness, an increase from 2022’s count of 334.
The Red Deer Chamber Homeless Task Force was launched in 2023, with the goal of understanding and identifying solutions that could be adopted in the community.
“Homelessness is a shared responsibility that impacts the economic and social health of Red Deer,” said Scott Robinson, CEO of the Red Deer District Chamber. “The community needs to re-engage to address homelessness.”
The Task Force identified six themes that contribute to homelessness in the community.
Its primary recommendation was to create a foundation dedicated to identifying sustainable solutions and mobilizing key community stakeholders to address the homelessness crisis with both compassion and urgency by the end of 2024.
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- Homelessness in Red Deer continuing to increase, doubles since 2022
“It’s time to shake things up, shift our paradigms, and pursue new ideas,” said Lyn Radford, Chair of the Homelessness Task Force Transition Committee. “Red Deer is a community that has always come together, rallied around common objectives, and found solutions where solutions don’t exist. The Time is Now.”
The Chamber has led the initiative because homelessness deeply affects the business community by straining local resources, limiting economic opportunities, and impacting the vibrancy of Red Deer’s downtown core.
“Addressing homelessness is essential to building a healthier, more inclusive community for everyone,” the Red Deer District Chamber said in a news release.
The Chamber is committed to supporting solutions that bring businesses, government, and community organizations together to address the crisis.
Over the last six months, the Chamber has taken steps to implement the recommendations emerging from the Task Force and is now recruiting Board Members.
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