Planning key to tackling homelessness, says expert
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on April 4, 2025.
Herald photo by Alexandra Noad
Frederic Fu, a postdoctoral fellow at University of York, speaks about his research on neurological disorders and mental illnesses among people experiencing homelessness to students at University of Lethbridge on Thursday afternoon.A researcher from York University who published a paper about neurological disorders and mental illnesses among people experiencing homelessness shared his findings to a group of U of L students on Thursday afternoon, after performing extensive research in Thunder Bay.
Frederic Fu, a postdoctoral fellow at York University’s School of Health Policy and Management, said the goal of his research is to help government make informed policies to help those experiencing homelessness.
“The target of this paper is to show the people who have the money, who have the power, who make the strategies, (we) want to show how the situation is and the significance of those people and eventually end homelessness.”
He adds that ending homelessness is a community effort, but the data needs to be front and centre in order to end the stigma.
“After we, not only (us), but some other researchers like me, produce more studies, I believe it will change the way people think about people experiencing homelessness,” says Fu.
One of his findings was how important funding for accessible housing is to end homeless encampments.
In Thunder Bay, encampments were almost eradicated through such funding, except for a handful of people who chose to live outside. But once the funding ran out, people had no choice but to leave the housing unit.
Rebecca Schiff, deputy provost at the University of Lethbridge, noted that this significant decline of encampments came without the police force that is normally used as a tactic against encampments.
“We saw a lot of cities where the city sent in and forced people to move out of their tents and encampments and forced them to go to the shelter, but what happened in Thunder Bay was the complete opposite, (it) was just organization over a really long time reaching out and developing relationships.”
Fu said he hopes through education and collaboration of policy makers, health care systems and everyday citizens we can expedite the end of homelessness.
“Only that we could walk together from different levels, different aspects together, we probably could end homelessness even sooner.”
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The issue is complex and the causes vary region to region and Lethbridge has its own unique reasons, mostly related to the addiction crisis and crimes related to the problem. Lethbridge did use police actions, to assist in the removal of encampments due to the high risk of those tasked with the job. Weapons were present along with aggressive individuals and police were needed.
The Mayor, a couple of Councilors, John Middleton-Hope been a primary proponent worked hard to come up with an effective encampment strategy that would assist those encamping in finding alternative housing, not just a shelter and that encampment has been effective. They worked closely with LPS and Sgt Darroch to find a plan that worked, not just to force people out of the park or other area, but place them in housing . . . but there are many who are the part of the criminal elements who are on the streets all the time that use the streets as their area of operations for prostitution services, drug dealing, break and entering, and other crimes who refuse to be sheltered.
I cannot speak of Ontario, even though I know Thunder Bay, North Bay and several other areas there with issues I have witnessed, but I do know the issues in Alberta and Vancouver along with other areas in BC and there is not one solution fits all!
In Lethbridge most of those in the shelter and on the streets are impacted by the addiction crisis and/or related crimes associated with the crisis, but there are some who cannot afford the high rents charged now and are unhoused . . . that is another story on how large corporate property management groups take over most of the apartment buildings, then raise prices . . . but I will leave that part alone for now.
There are also some with who have mental health issues, some from the drugs, while a few have always had those issues and in most cases, if properly treated and put in the rigth environment would live a better life.
Lethbridge is very much different than Calgary or Edmonton and especially Vancouver where real estate and rental prices are extremely high and many on the streets are not or were not there due to their addiction issues but once on the streets became addicted.
By far, Lethbridge has done well in this crisis because of our leedership witnessing the many mistakes BC made that failed, and finding better solutions to deal with the problem . . . Lethbridge has been a model for other communities in several cases.
Thanks to the UCP moving towards a treatment and recovery model for this addiction crisis instead of enabling and encouraging addiction as BC has done, Lethbridge saw a 63% reduction in fatal drug overdoses last year.
I cannot make this clear enough . . . in this area the drug crisis is the biggest driver of homelessness and focusing on resolving this crisis will resolve most of the related issues . . . homelessness, crime, fatal overdoses all can be dramatically reduced by effective treatment programs, getting people back into the workforce and of course housing them and law enforcement going after the drug traffickers and manufacturers is needed.
There has to be a will to do so!
Well said! Some of our elected officials had a monumental task trying to enact some of the policies, facing pushback from some of the pro-harm reduction leaders and administraters who are still part of the Shannon Phillips, Chris Spearman era.
Often roadblocks were placed in front of those trying to bring positive changes to our community.
It is an election year and there is some deadwork to be cleared both elected and in administration.
One example: Bikelanes! After all the costs and traffic disruption and lost parking downtown, rarely do you see anyone use the bikelanes, unless it is in the news, and then you get people out for a week or two using them and the numbers are very low and theh you don’t see them. I see more bikes on the sidewalk where the bikelanes are or the regulars who continue to use 5th avenue instead. A waste of taxdollars and one more thing that reduced downtown consumer visits!
It is an election year and people should be paying attention to those who have cost the taxpayers. The drug crisis has cost us millions annually thanks to some bad decisions and that is just out of our city taxes!
As for costing the taxpayers, the UCP have already made well over $80 billion in very costly debacles and mistakes. The latest 2 very costly debacles and mistakes from the UCP are blowing well over $600 million on the Corrupt Care scandal, which the R.C.M.P are now investigating and blowing $11 billion on loan guarantees. The UCP also lost Alberta hundreds of millions of dollars by forsaking collecting property taxes from the oil companies in Alberta, and this is why municipalities in Alberta must charge increased municipal property taxes. The UCP has treated the vulnerable in Alberta with disdain, and this is why homelessness has increased in Alberta.
The UCP made problems worse with homelessness in Alberta, because the UCP has made well over $80 billion in very costly debacles and mistakes, and the UCP has made heartless cuts to the vulnerable in Alberta.