Council narrowly approves federal Reaching Home funding for consultant

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on July 12, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Is $200,000 to much to spend on a consultant?

Even though the money is from the federal government, city council on Tuesday debated at length the first point of a resolution to spend $400,000 of federal Reaching Home funds.

By a narrow 5-4 margin, council voted to approve the hiring of a consultant at a cost up to $200,000 to complete a needs assessment and strategic updates to the Community Wellbeing and Safety Strategy and Municipal Housing Strategy.

A report to council by Community Social Development manager Andrew Malcolm states the consultant hired to do the needs assessment will use the information gathered to complete updates to the CWSS and Municipal Housing Strategy.

Several members of council including mayor Blaine Hyggen questioned the amount that the consultant could cost.

At the request of Deputy Mayor John Middleton-Hope, the Reaching Home funding request was removed from the consent agenda and discussed separately. The four requests from the Community Wellbeing and Safety Strategy Advisory Committee were then voted separately.

Takara Motz of City administration told council that 1,000 hours of work is anticipated on the consultant project which will require a considerable amount of research and consultation.

The last needs assessment was done four years ago before the pandemic hit, Motz said adding that the most recent Point in Time survey showed the number of people experiencing homelessness in Lethbridge had doubled.

The plan is to have the work done by March 31 of 2024 with a report to be provided to council by April of next year.

Councillor Belinda Crowson said while the cost of the consultant is high the need for the project is “very high” noting the city has social issues that need to be addressed. She told fellow councillors that it’s “absolutely vital” that when looking at issues the most up-to-date information is available.

Councillor Jeff Carlson said the “up to”part gives him a feeling of comfort adding in his opinion, the funding is necessary “and we do need to approve this to be adequately prepared moving forward.”

Hyggen said he felt the amount requested was too much. Voting in favour of the resolution were Carlson, Crowson, Jenn Schmidt-Rempel, Rajko Dodic and Mark Campbell. Opposed were Hyggen, Middleton-Hope, Acting Mayor Ryan Parker and Nick Paladino.

Council voted 7-2 in favour of the second part of the funding – $90,000 annually from the Reaching Home funding portfolio over four years to be allocated to the Blood Tribe Department of Health to deliver the Lethbridge Wellness Shelter and Stabilization Unit Population Support Navigator. Potentially, this could be a total of $360,000 if funding is approved for three more years.

Voting against were Middleton-Hope and Paladino.

Malcolm’s report said the support navigator will work out of the wellness shelter and stabilization unit and will be responsible for providing referrals through the Integrated Co-ordinated Access system to “support shelter-based individuals in accessing appropriate services available within the system of care.”

In response to a question, Motz said the goal is to get people using the shelter into housing and the position would provide various services.

Carlson said he knows from experience working with seniors how valuable such navigators can be while Hyggen called it “a great cause.”

Council voted unanimously on the third part which is to provide up to $170,000 of Reaching Home funding to the Canadian Mental Health Association for the purchase of two vehicles in support of Diversion Outreach Team program operations.

Council heard that the current two DOT vehicles were purchased in 2017 and 2019 respectively and due to significant hours and kilometres they are experiencing mechanical issues on a regular basis.

A fourth request for $20,000 of Reaching Home funding to be allocated as a one-time cost for the facilitation of a community-wide Integrated Coordinated Access Engagement Service Fair was approved unanimously as well.

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