One north American city has successfully implemented affordable housing initiatives that eradicated homelessness in their area. A small Canadian city situated in the center of Alberta announced in May 2015 that they have ended homelessness in their area. Not only does this city have a remarkable low-income housing system they have exceeded expectations by putting an end to homelessness. Their top notch affordable housing initiative not only made living in Medicine Hat affordable but also ensured that every resident of the city could afford a safe, reasonably maintained place to live. By implementing such a strong system of supports residents are never forced to leave the city because they can’t afford a place to live. Instead, affordable housing in guaranteed allowing residents to focus on bettering their lives.
Why is affordable housing so important for a city? According to Medicine Hat’s Mayor Ted Clugston, it can cost a hundred thousand dollars a year for one person to be homeless but it only costs twenty thousand a year to provide that same person with housing (Clark, 2015). From the perspective of the city’s governance, it makes sense financially and socially. Since the city has implemented their plan to eradicate homelessness and make housing their priority crime rates and emergency room crisis’s have significantly dwindled. The investments in housing have made the city a much more attractive place for residents to live. Residents benefit from the reduced crime rates, the reduced waiting times for emergency care but more importantly, they feel the pride of knowing that every resident has a home to live in their community
The city devoted their resources with the launch of their “Plan to End Homelessness” five years before their proud announcement in May 2015. The affordable housing initiative implemented a strategic plan to ensure all residents of the city had access to housing.
Medicine Hat’s affordable housing program uses a variety of different solutions to ensure every resident has the right supports. The city understands that residents requiring affordable housing have a variety of needs and require different housing solutions in order to be successful. The program has family units and special needs units, there is also self-contained units for seniors and units that are not geared to income but are available for less than their market value. For those individuals, whose needs are not met by the city’s subsidized or affordable units there are also rent supplement programs that subsidize the rental of privately owned apartments.
What makes their affordable housing program such a success is the community’s dedication to ensuring every resident can afford a safe place to live. The city successfully implemented a series of strategies to ensure there is enough affordable housing to accommodate their population and outreach workers are available to ensure every person is reached. In some instances, outreach workers, have reached out numerous times to ensure the city’s homeless are housed. The outcome is a city where every person can afford a home and focus their daily efforts to bettering their lives, finding work and moving towards a more productive future.
Works Cited
"2015 Municipal Census." City of Medicine Hat : Municipal Census. N.p., 2015. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.city.medicine-hat.ab.ca/index.aspx?page=226>.
Clark, A. "Medicine Hat becomes the first city in Canada to eliminate homelessness." CBC Radio. CBC, 14 May 2015. Web. <http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3074402/medicine-hat-becomes-the-first-city-in-canada-to-eliminate-homelessness-1.3074742>.
"Relocating to Medicine Hat." City of Medicine Hat : Relocating to Medicine Hat. N.p., 2016. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.city.medicine-hat.ab.ca/index.aspx?page=473>.
