Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada ended Chronic Homelessness in the city in 2021. There was national and international fanfare. What’s to be learned from knowing that ‘ending Chronic Homelessness’ in Medicine Hat has come . . . and now gone?
Practical definitions of ‘chronic homelessness1‘ and ‘functional zero2‘ set the stage for Medicine Hat’s achievement. That said, Medicine Hat is and was by no means a city without other people experiencing homelessness.
Some of Medicine Hat’s citizenry were less than impressed by their nationally advertised success. There were, after all, still people who were apparently homeless still visible on the streets. They didn’t fit under the umbrella of people who were ‘chronically homeless.’
Today Medicine Hat no longer qualifies as a city with functional zero chronic homelessness. Worse. With the number of people experiencing homelessness rising, the city is again working to determine how many fit the definition of ‘chronic’ and how many don’t. What are we to make of this?
First, achieving functional zero chronic homeless can depend on significant physical and social support for individuals in this category. Best practices suggest they must have at least temporary housing, and may be unable to keep it without assistance in developing personal management skills. Some of the people who are chronically homeless use drugs and/or live with active mental illness, and will need ongoing support.
A challenge of achieving functional zero chronic homelessness requires getting to know people by name and learning and acting on their needs. To achieve this for effectively all people who are chronically homeless in the city was an achievement worthy of praise.
Unfortunately, the numbers of ‘non-chronic’ homeless citizens is increasing, not only in Medicine Hat, but in cities, towns and regions across the country. Their crisis is a lack of affordable housing. The solution to their problem cannot be met with awareness of personal needs, including a health analysis, followed up with health supports. What is missing is an affordable place to live.
The longer they go without housing, crashing on couches, overnighting in shelters, the more their personal circumstances creep toward ‘chronic’ homelessness. To repeat yesterday’s achievement of ‘functional zero chronic homeless,’ may well become a profoundly expensive and hopelessly unrealistic dream.
Read more at the CBC: Medicine Hat says it ended homelessness a year ago, but it didn’t last long
Footnotes
- Chronic homelessness means homelessness lasting for a long time (typically six months) or multiple episodes of homelessness over an extended period (e.g. homeless more than three times in three years).
- For more on ‘functional zero’ try: Homelessness: What Is Functional Zero, And Why Does It Matter?
