The_Cat
Senior Member
Perhaps stronger partnerships with First Nations to prevent and treat homelessness. A lot of complex issues here.
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Homelessness, Addiction and Mental Health
- Thread starter MacLac
- Start date
TAS
Senior Member
SarcasticMarmot
Active Member
Indigenous leaders are quite involved. Enoch Nation for example is running and operating the shelter/transitional housing in the old Coliseum in. Niginan Housing Ventures and Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society are two of the strongest and most effective organizations in the city, I can't sing their praises enough.
But the problem for Indigenous folks is huge and why they represent 55% of folks on the street is well documented to be traced to the intergenerational effects of choices and conditions created by non-indigenous government/society. The Indian Act, creation of reserves, residential schools, generations of underfunding supports, etc. This is a problem "we" as Canada created, I don't know if you have spent any time on reserves but they are not healthy places and are struggling to care for the people already there and certainly don't have the resources to operate within the city.
If you want to read about the complicated issues for Indigenous folks I would recommend Indigenous Writes by Chelsea Vowel (Edmonton local author) and 21 Things You Didn't Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph. Both very insightful books.
Gus Haynes
Active Member
A number of others have jumped on this, but I want to also chime in here that "99.99999999999%" is hyperbole. Indigenous people are absolutely overrepresented in Edmonton's homeless population, so I don't want to distract from that very important point, but the number is currently more like 2/3rds rather than 100%: https://edmontonsocialplanning.ca/social-well-being/e-built-environment/e6-built-environment/
TAS
Senior Member
One of these affordable apartments could perhaps go in The Quarters on city owned land along 96st.
Sohi in Ottawa with Housing Minister Sean Fraser and Indigenous leaders.
Sohi in Ottawa with Housing Minister Sean Fraser and Indigenous leaders.
Kosy123
Active Member
Edmonton's NiGiNan Housing Ventures to build new supportive housing
The housing will be a 14-plex supportive housing facility near its current Pimatisiwin facility on Fort Rd., capable of housing 56 residents
edmontonjournal.com
Niginan is getting a decent chunk of funding for two projects
Whattagame
Active Member
It's up to the Indigenous leadership to correct the problems caused by the elected Canadian government? Interesting.
Of course they'll be involved, but it will take a lot of funding, and the Indigenous communities shouldn't be on the hook for it.
And your math is off.
MacLac
Senior Member
You darn tootin’ it’s interesting. Make them accountable that the second they leave the Reservation they automatically become homeless and a burden to the taxpayers of this fine city. Math is bang on…….next……
The_Cat
Senior Member
I guess Indigenous children in foster homes would count then! Edmonton was built on former Treaty Six land.
SarcasticMarmot
Active Member
The fact you think most indigenous folks grew up on a reservation shows you are dealing in stereotypes with no experience of the people you are talking about. Only about a 1/3rd of indigenous folks live on reserve. Most either come from bands who never got reserves or had them disbanded by the Canadian government (Papachase), come from mixed heritage that are a mix of indigenous and non-indigenous background, come from families that were "Enfranchised" (aka had their treaty rights taken away), or are from families ripped away from their relations by residential schools and as such have no connection to a reserve. Indigenous identity is complex and multi-faceted with few having a linear connection to the reserve.
Canada spent more than a century intentionally and successfully destroying Indigenous communities and families, its going to take alot longer than a few years of "reconciliation" to undo the damage. In fact, about 1/4 of Edmonton sits on Reserve land that was forcibly taken away through the shenanigans of Frank Oliver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaschase
Whattagame
Active Member
I get the feeling that if we lived in a real meritocracy, you'd be in for a shock.
The_Cat
Senior Member
Your comment is a slap in the face to First Nations, Metis and Inuit people. How many have achieved in spite of the discrimination and intergenerational trauma they had to endure? How many people with Indigenous ancestry have achieved and become productive members of society, with some of them exceeding expectations?
Gronk!
Senior Member
Taking a closer look at how an Edmonton supportive housing site operates
A building on 97 Street and 103 Avenue in Edmonton is home to supportive housing units for vulnerable women. Boyle Street opened its door to the public Monday offering an opportunity for Edmontonians to see what it offers and how it operates! “I look out my window every day and I see people who...
edmonton.citynews.ca
SarcasticMarmot
Active Member
Bissell Centre space closed until further notice after Tuesday morning fire
The Bissell Centre's community space is closed after a Tuesday morning fire damaged the space to an unknown extent.
edmontonjournal.com
This sucks. There are currently no drop in day services available in the City Centre, right during the first cold snap of the year.
Greenspace
Senior Member
“They are coming out of their encampments and back onto the system, it’s a seasonal shift,” he said Tuesday. “They are seeking shelter in our bus system to use their drugs and looking for a safe spot, I guess.
“Which it turns out is not so safe, because they’re dead.”
edmontonjournal.com
“Which it turns out is not so safe, because they’re dead.”
Four people died in Edmonton bus shelters in two weeks
Four people, believed to be homeless, died or were found dead in Edmonton bus shelters in the past two weeks as cold weather rolls in.
edmontonjournal.com