Homeless In Edmonton - Tent City

Picture Courtesy of Edmonton Sun
Over 100 homeless people are camped out in tents in downtown Edmonton. The Alberta Oil Boom and the subsequent real estate boom have people coming from all over the country, and the world, to find high paying oil sands jobs.

However, the near 72% increase in property values have left a people unable to enter the housing market.

Edmonton is notorious for its -40C degree winters, living in a tent is impossible in those temperatures.

The city and government are working hard to come up with alternatives including shelters and subsidized housing.

“You just can’t kick people out ... because they’re going to have an effect on other areas,” “In essence, we want to make sure that there are alternatives.” Ray Danyluk

Hopefully the government will legalize secondary suites in homes to open up the thousands of suites that are deemed illegal. If strict guidelines are enforced on these suites they would offer reasonable, clean and modern housing to those in need.

Habitat For Humanity- is a non-profit organization that is helping to ease the housing crunch in Edmonton