Edmonton looks to keep homeless shelters away from big industrial projects

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Edmonton may keep homeless shelters away from areas with heavy industrial activity and revisit how much space is needed inside for sleeping.

City councillors on Tuesday spoke about preventing shelters from opening in places that are difficult to get to, far from other amenities, or in places that could be dangerous for the people using them. All four members of the urban planning committee voted to have the city’s zoning bylaw updated to disallow temporary shelters directly beside plots of land zoned for heavy industrial use, such as beside a chemical plant or oil refinery. Limiting how much space can be set aside for “congregant sleeping areas” — such as mats placed on a floor in a large open room — is also under review. Council will debate these ideas at an upcoming meeting before any changes are finalized.

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Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said while emergency shelters are a temporary intervention — and ultimately more permanent housing is needed — where they are located matters.

“I think we need to make sure that shelters are built in appropriate places instead of everywhere, with access to public transit, access to other amenities, instead of building too close to industrial complexes,” he said.

“That is something we absolutely need to make sure that, even though shelters are a temporary intervention, they should also be providing a dignified way for people to stay.”

The mayor also questioned why in a wealthy province like Alberta “more people are falling into houselessness,” with “an addictions crisis that is getting worse.”

Location matters

Shelters are currently allowed in some industrial zones but a bylaw change would put in some more limitations.

Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack said he’s heard a lot of concerns from the public about where shelters are located — many people say they shouldn’t be in residential areas.

“I think if you ask most people, they would say they would lean towards further away from their homes than closer to their homes, which I don’t think is an unreasonable thing,” he told reporters. “But at the same time, that doesn’t actually fix the problem.”

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That’s because, he said, having them too far away creates other issues.

There were encampments in pretty much every community. We have enough shelter beds, yet people aren’t choosing to use them,” he said. “So you need to make sure your shelters are not too far away from where people actually are, or they’re not going to use them.”

He’s hopeful a shelter in the west end, closer to an industrial area, will be used because transportation is provided.

During the meeting, Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson pointed to the potential bylaw change that would limit communal sleeping areas.

While she thinks making such rules could make it difficult for shelter operators, she thinks it’s important to change this requirement.

“I think experience in the past and present shows that type of arrangement does not serve Edmontonians well —  Edmontonians experiencing homelessness, and also those working or running businesses nearby,” she said during the meeting.

“None of this is about the individuals accessing shelter services, it’s about the land use impacts.”

The city also plans to replace its emergency shelter standards with a set of optional guidelines for operators.

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The shelter standards rulebook was brought forward by the previous city council in 2021 despite questions at the time about how such rules could be enforced because shelters are under the province’s jurisdiction.

lboothby@postmedia.com

@laurby

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