Alpha House installs fencing at shelter
By Ry Clarke - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on August 4, 2022.
Herald photo by Al Beeber
People stand at the edge of the Alpha House homeless shelter property.With ongoing issues arising in the city around homeless encampments, Alpha house has recently installed fencing around its perimeter to address public safety issues in the area.
The shelter says the recent addition of fencing to the exterior is due to the impact of higher concentrations of encampments impacting people trying to access the shelter.
“Concentrated encampments in a single area can lead to drug dealing, overdoses, criminal activity and other behaviours that pose significant safety concerns. Fencing has allowed us to support a safer environment for those we serve and we have seen a reduction in incidences since. We will continue to work with the City of Lethbridge on this issue and continue to advocate for supportive housing options to reduce encampments throughout the city,” says Alpha House in a media release.
Alpha House says it is trying to advocate for those in need while still maintaining order in the area.
The installment of fencing outside Alpha house prevents tents from setting up in neighbouring businesses. Meeting with city representatives, Alpha House will look to identify collaborations with vulnerable populations in Lethbridge while still providing client care and support in the community.
The homeless encampment issue has been growing here.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen brought forward a resolution at last week’s meeting of city council looking to address the issue while understanding the importance of compassion.
In a 7-to-1 vote, the city approved up to $230,000 towards assisting administrative and policing funding, aiming to enhance the city in its pursuit of the homeless encampment issue.
Hyggen’s motion was separated into four pieces, with another section calling for council to approve $470,000 in one-time funding from corporate budget contingencies to move forward with suitable solutions for the encampment situation. Hyggen is calling for a task force to be created to gather key partners in the community to assess complex issues like these.
10-9
How about just giving them each a quarter million taxpayer dollars to keep them quiet for a couple of weeks?
Ridiculous waste of money.
I support this Council, but this will not solve anything! Our group now stands on employing tough love tactics, firm policing, sending Alpha House shelter back to Calgary and using a local operated shelter with a fresh staff that has no association with Alpha House, the SCS, MSTH or LOPS, a staff that respects our city, our business community and provides a safe environment for those who use the shelter, with services to assist them to get treatment, get jobs or find a permanent place to live.
We do need a special unit to immediately deploy to remove any encampment that attempts to set up, offering alternative housing/shelter, which Toronto is trying, using security guards just to identify or confirm attempts to encamp, then deploying the team.
Edmonton has already decided providing a specific area for encampments will not work, be a high cost with no end in sight, will fill up and more encampments overflow in other areas. Many will not go to these sanctioned encampments, mostly the criminals who keep their stolen goods in their tents, deal drugs and their partners are working on the streets as prostitutes.
Edmonton has tried made afew attempts employing various options. Also, once you sanction an encampment you take on liability, and when winter comes you must provide motels/hotels for them.
Too late Alpha House, you have overstayed your welcome! The money is see now is only a quick fix, helping to pay for all the high costs that have overtaxed several city of Lethbridge departments. The downtown encampment had already cost well over $150,000 with City Parks dept, Clean Sweep, garbage collection, policing, maintenance damage to the park grass/foilage, etc. before the $230,000 was authorized, $195,000 solely earmarked for wages!
We need to end the programs that are not solving the issues, including the committee and start fresh with a committee or task force that will focus on taking back our streets, parks and neighbourhoods.
A reminder that seeing the devastation on our streets negatively impacts the efforts of Reconciliation since many do not separate the street people from the average indigenous. It doesn’t help when they are banished and cannot return home either! Although we need to work together to resolve this, we also need to protect our city and our citizens, just like the indigenous do, but we cannot banish people and would prefer resolving the issues by other means. Many of the people on our streets were sent here by other communities, passing on their problems to us!
To stop this, we need to overhaul our current plans and end associations with some of the groups that failed to do what they said they would.