The Edson and District Homelessness Task Force is conducting a feasibility study exploring the potential for supportive and transitional housing in Edson.
The task force has been operating informally in the community for about 10 years and became an official non-profit entity in 2024. It held its Annual General Meeting on April 23 to discuss highlights from the last year and upcoming priorities.
Right now, the organization is studying the feasibility of developing about 32-40 units of supportive and transitional housing as a potential long-term solution to homelessness challenges. Executive Director Kristie Gomuwka says Edson lacks dedicated housing for this community, and shelter spaces only offer emergency relief.
These new spaces would include access to wraparound services designed to address immediate needs and provide healthy lifestyle alternatives.
As Gomuwka explains, transitional housing hosts an individual for about 18-24 months, during which time efforts are made to transition them to a permanent, independent space. For some individuals, full independence is not the goal; supportive housing, similar to an assisted living facility, provides long-term housing options for these individuals.
The task force is conducting “robust community engagement” to complete this study, at which point it can apply for grants for the potential project.
The study builds on its last major project, which was the development of Edson’s Community Encampment Response Plan. The plan was crafted with input from multiple groups that serve and interact with the impacted community to design a coordinated response.
“I think that Edson is one of the smallest communities in Alberta to take this on,” comments Gomuwka. She adds, “Our overall hope is if we continue that coordinated service, we will proactively stop any kind of encampments from happening.”
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Related: Town of Edson finalizes first Community Encampment Response Plan
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While these projects are big wins for the task force, Gomuwka says the organization is due to run out of funds by July or August. She worries if they shut down, this groundwork will “die on the vine” without its main proponent.
“We are actively looking at how we can keep the task force operational. We don’t use a lot of money,” she says. “A task force is an incredible conduit because it’s an opportunity for all of the community to come together and have some of those coordinated responses and conversations. Without the task force, some of these larger projects just can’t be taken on by other community agencies.”
At the moment, the task force is primarily grant funded through the Alberta government. It also received $5,000 from the Town of Edson to complete the housing study currently underway.
The organization is in discussions with the provincial and federal governments about grants and other funding options to remain operational, Gomuwka says.
Another challenge has been misinformation shared in the community. The executive director states that many claims circulating in the community are false, including:
- Claims of homeless individuals being bused into Edson from other communities.
- Claims that service providers withhold aid to keep individuals in a state of addiction or homelessness.
- Claims connecting the homeless population to a level of criminality.
“That’s always going to be our challenge, that there’s so many beliefs out there that are not grounded in truth,” she comments.
In an effort to address this ongoing issue, the task force began releasing a quarterly newsletter highlighting statistics and myths about the local situation. Gomuwka also encourages any businesses or community members with curiosity or concerns to engage with the task force directly.
