I established a task force on homelessness right after the election in 2017, recognizing that we do have an issue. Sometimes that issue is hidden, especially in affluent communities such as ours, but it does exist. The last counts in our city showed about 160 homeless people, ranging from those on the brink of homelessness to people living rough in our river valley.
As I mentioned earlier, we're part of the Edmonton metropolitan region, so St. Albert does not have access to provincial funds for homelessness. The answer that I always get from our provincial government is to let Edmonton take care of your homeless.
Mayor Don Iveson of Edmonton and I speak frequently about this inadequacy, this unfairness that Edmonton would have to deal with the St. Albert residents and their homeless, so the two of us have been really advocating to try to open up some mats and beds here in St. Albert. I've yet to have support from my provincial government on that. I do know there was some federal support, but it always funnels through the province, so I cannot access it. I have agencies such as The Mustard Seed ready to set up beds in our Salvation Army. We're ready to go. I just need access to the funding so I can take care of my own residents.
The outcomes for the homeless will always be better if they can access those supports within their own municipality, close to their families, close to their friends, close to their hometowns, instead of going into the big city and getting sucked into lifestyles that sometimes are inescapable.