Homelessness might not be a top-of-mind topic in small-town Alberta, but there’s absolutely no question that it exists. In fact, experts say homelessness rates are likely similar regardless of community size.
The issue rears its head every so often in these parts and did so again this month when the Wheel interviewed a homeless couple that detailed their transient lifestyle and called for greater community support for those facing housing insecurity.
They called for the creation of some sort of shelter to allow them and others (another homeless man with them declined to be interviewed) to get out of the often-bitter Alberta cold. Up to this point, the thinking around here when that subject is broached is that there simply aren’t sufficient numbers to warrant such a facility.
You could argue that even one person out in the cold is justification for a shelter, but let’s, for a moment, look at Leduc, a city about three hours north of here that’s comparable to Okotoks in size and proximity to a major metropolitan centre.
One difference between the two communities is that Leduc has a shelter, one it’s fighting to keep afloat. Run by the non-profit Leduc Hub, the shelter, which operates overnight during the winter, has served 85 people this season. That's not to say that Okotoks has that number of homeless, but if rates are fairly consistent across the board, you can bet the total here is far more than just two or three.
Places like Edson, Whitecourt, Wetaskiwin and others are coming up with a variety of ways to ensure everyone has a roof over their heads, so it just might be time for Okotoks to revisit the issue. And that doesn't mean it all falls on the Town because making sure everyone is out of the cold is a responsibility of the entire community.
