What a housing emergency means

Yesterday, here in Edmonton, Mayor Sohi declared a housing emergency in an effort to bring all levels of government together to come up with housing solutions. A good step, but there's a long way to go. At this point, it's anybody's guess as to whether other government officials will actually show up to the meetings.

Temperatures here in Canada's northernmost provincial capital are warming up a wee bit (-20 with windchill to -30 as I write), but people are still suffering frostbite and there have been at least 3 deaths from the cold this week that I know of, likely more. A housing emergency means that there aren't enough places for people in my city to stay warm, never mind live in a community of their own choosing. It means more than that, too.

As Canadians, we have been told that our country is high on the list of places where migrants and refugees want to live. For decades, our standard of living has been something many aspire to share. We've been proud of that.

But the fact is that housing prices continue to rise (due to greed in some cases) and because of that, there clearly isn't enough affordable housing for the people already here. If there was, no one would be freezing to death outside. Our governments used to invest in supportive and affordable housing, but lately they haven't put money down to get shovels in the ground and build what is needed right now. 

If that's not a housing emergency, I don't know what is. Clearly, things have to change so that we can ensure that no one has to live outdoors, and so we can welcome new would-be Canadians, especially from places where life is untenable.

I wasn't going to share this interview link from early Sunday morning as it feels embarrassing to do so, but the images (notice the fellow I wrote about last week with his dog, Billy Bob, on the trolley?) and the last minute or so of the interview about contacting elected officials -- are the whole point of what I keep going on about here. 

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2299556419635

The thing is, the inability to afford a home that affects even one person has a ripple effect on all of us. We are all connected, whether we realize it or not. No matter where we live, it's possible we don't realize that some of our neighbours may be having to choose between paying the rent or buying groceries/medications. 

Some of us might be safe, warm, and secure for the moment, but if we don't speak up in defense of those who are struggling, their miseries will compound, and might overwhelm the systems that sustain us all. Crime rates, pressures on healthcare and mental health, addictions, and so many other ills only increase when people are up against a wall. That's a future that none of us really want to imagine. 

So it's time to make noise.

Please, if you haven't already, contact your elected officials. Remind them that all of Canada (all of the world, really) is in various states of housing emergency. Give them the Bottom Line: housing is a human right, and government officials MUST work to ensure that everyone has homes that they can afford. And if you want to go the extra mile, suggest that basic income for all would be helpful too.

Both can happen with some effort, creativity and political will. But we have to push our politicians in the right direction, because they get distracted from these life and death situations by the darndest things! 

After reading my last moodling, my mom said, "why don't you post contact information for people who want to write letters?" So here it is. Mom -- you're right, I should have done it sooner! And everyone is welcome to share this moodling/these addresses with their circle of friends!

Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Email address -- sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca 

Jason Nixon, Alberta's Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. Email address -- scss.minister@gov.ab.ca

And if you're not Albertan or Canadian, please don't doubt that there's a housing emergency where you live. It's world wide. Sending an email or phoning your own elected officials can get the ball rolling for a better and more resilient world. 

Hey, there's my word of the year!

I'll get off my soapbox now and post happier things for the rest of the month, I promise!

Jump on the bandwagon!

Last December... almost the same today.

This morning, the Edmonton Police Service and City cleanup crews took down a homeless encampment (they've been doing it for weeks) in spite of the fact that there is a court injunction in place until January 11th to protect our homeless folks if there aren't enough places where they can go.

And there aren't enough places for them to go. But the dump trucks came, all the same.

So I'm inviting you to jump on the bandwagon and demand solutions for the homeless people in your midst, wherever you live. All you need to do is let your elected officials know that the issue of people having a roof over their head is important to you, and the officials must do what it takes -- in particular, asking those homeless people what would work for them -- until no one is homeless. I should have put that in this letter -- ask the people in need what they need, and work from that! But I was a bit hot under the collar, oops.

Below, I'm posting the email I sent to my elected officials this morning. May it inspire you to send your own. And if you live in Edmonton, or Alberta, feel free to email me, and I can save you the time it takes to look up city council and provincial politicians relevant to this issue by sending you their email addresses. My pleasure! 

* * * * * * *

 Dear city councilors and provincial politicians, 

 You've heard from me recently, but I am writing once again, and I will write many more times, as necessary. I live in the Holyrood neighbourhood in Edmonton, and volunteer with the Inner City Pastoral Ministry as a member of the ministry team. As lunch coordinator, I help volunteers hand out more than 200 lunches a week to people who come to us from downtown encampments for the homeless every Sunday. I know the homeless community, if not by names, by faces. 

 Today I am very angry and more than a little heartbroken that the Edmonton Police Service and city crews are ignoring the injunction preventing encampment evictions when there isn't enough safe housing for the people who have nowhere else to live. The EPS and the City were supposed to wait until more humane solutions could be found. 

 Homelessness costs the city and province far more than ATCO trailers and support personnel do -- think of all the medical, police/fire/EMT and cleanup costs. Encampment evictions mean these people have nowhere to lay their heads, and they have to start over from square one, begging, borrowing and stealing to build more shelters for themselves -- because you are lacking imagination. Something must be done. 

 All councilors and MLAs could have emergency meetings to determine where empty city lots can hold heated trailers so people don't have to build dangerous fires; so people can have doors that lock to protect themselves and their few belongings while they sleep at night. Shelter beds will never be enough. The women's ATCO trailers set up by the Elizabeth Fry Society on the north side were a good start; keep going!! 

 Alberta has a 5.5 billion dollar surplus. Housing is a human right, and it would take only a fraction of that surplus to solve these problems in a humane way. Our province can show the world what it takes to end homelessness. Imagine how great our province and city would become in the eyes of the world!   

 Dear politicians, I look forward to hearing about the solutions you come up with at your emergency meeting on solving the housing crisis.

Maria K