Claresholm Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) is working to address housing insecurity within the community.
Over the past four years, the FCSS has seen an increase in residents accessing services to find appropriate and affordable housing.
The FCSS, with assistance from the Rural Development Network (RDN), organized a survey to gain a better understanding of housing insecurity to find solutions.
Based on the survey, at least 231 residents are experiencing insecure housing conditions.
The results of the survey were presented to Claresholm Town Council on June 9 through the Housing and Service Needs Community Report.
Three opportunities were suggested in the report to address housing insecurity, including fostering community awareness and understanding, increasing awareness of and access to services, and encouraging sustainable housing growth in Claresholm.
During the June 23 regular meeting, Claresholm Town Council directed the FCSS board to review the report and its findings to find solutions.
Barb Bell, FCSS Director, explained that the organization sees residents every day who are getting evicted with nowhere to go.
“It's a difficult situation. We’re seeing people who are displaced. These are human beings, and they need a place to go,” Bell said. “We don’t see them laying on the streets, but at some point, it’s going to be here.”
According to Bell, to address the issue, more community conversations need to be had to bring awareness and better promote the services that are available.
The FCSS is also urging the community to advocate for lower-cost and affordable housing to government representatives.
“People want to live here,” Bell said. “We see it in our immigration projects and in the huge waiting lists for senior accommodation, but we can’t grow without places for people to live.”