WESTLOCK – The number of homeless people in Westlock is higher than the estimates, according to the Town of Westlock and the newly formed Westlock Secure Housing and Resource Coalition.
Gerry Murphy, Town of Westlock’s community services director, said there are many factors that contribute to homelessness. They include addiction, mental health challenges, and socio-economic instability.
“We don’t have the exact numbers, but they are actually higher than you might imagine,” he said. “Homelessness is not something people are necessarily proud of. They don’t advertise that. They don’t have a sign saying, ‘look at me I’m homeless.’ They don’t necessarily fill out questionnaires and get involved in data collection.”
Brandy Berry, the executive director of Healthy Families, Healthy Futures, who led the first Westlock Secure Housing and Resource Coalition meeting, agreed.
“I would suggest that the numbers are higher than were captured in the RDN (Rural Development Network)."
Based on survey results, there were at least 758 people in Westlock experiencing housing insecurity. The top four reasons for housing insecurity in Westlock include low wages, inability to afford rent/mortgage payments, bad credit, and mental health issues.
The report also said that many survey respondents cited illegal rental suites and poor landlord behaviour as reasons why they are becoming concerned about their current housing situation.
Berry said what housing insecurity looks like is different for everyone.
“We have people who could be one paycheck away, one broken machine away, one flat tire away, from having to choose between paying their power bill or buying groceries or paying their mortgage or their power bill or their rent.”
Marnie Hoetmer, executive director of Youth Unlimited, said there are housing insecure youth sleeping on couches and in cars.
“That is happening in our community event though people don’t want to admit it’s happening,” she said.
There is also a growing population of low-income seniors becoming housing insecure, said Berry.
The Westlock Secure Housing and Resource Coalition has shifted the focus of tackling the homeless issue in Westlock to a grassroots bottom-up approach.
Berry said they want to help the community understand what housing insecurity looks like and what can be done to create more housing security.
They will focus on community well-being as well as mid- and short-term housing needs and building community and coalition capacity.
The coalition meets next on Aug. 20 at the Provincial Building, and they invite everyone to participate in discussions. Berry said it’s important to include the housing insecure on the discussions.
“When we come from a place of privilege, we make assumptions of what people actually need. If we can work together and be genuine and honest and sit at the table as a collective, that is how long-lasting change happens."
The coalition aims to coordinate the various groups in Westlock that are already helping the housing insecure.
“Lots of organizations have stepped up and do pieces, so hopefully as a coalition we can coordinate some of those pieces to better meet the needs,” said Berry.
The Westlock Secure Housing and Resource Coalition was formed after the Town of Westlock, Westlock County, and the Village of Clyde approached Healthy Families Healthy Futures to lead the initiative.
Healthy Families Healthy Futures has offices in Westlock, Athabasca and Whitecourt.
For more information on the coalition's activities, or to get involved, please contact Health Families Healthy Futures in Westlock at 780-307-2444.
