Posted: Jul 07, 2021 6:30 PM MT | Last Updated: July 8
Police, social agencies, health and city workers in the Human-centered Engagement and Liaison Partnership move into a new space in the Central McDougall neighbourhood.(Art Raham/CBC)
Social agencies, the police, health and city workers will operate under one roof to help bolster efforts to help homeless people in Edmonton.
The agencies moved into a collective space at the Union Building in the Central McDougall neighbourhood Wednesday.
The groups held a news conference Wednesday to discuss the program called HELP Human-centered Engagement and Liaison Partnership.
Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said the coordinated response is meant to address the myriad of issues facing vulnerable people.
Author of the article: Lauren Boothby
Publishing date: Jul 07, 2021 • 4 hours ago • 2 minute read • Acting Staff Sgt. Mike Kembel (Edmonton Police Service) outside the Union Building, located at 10319-106 Avenue in downtown Edmonton. The building is now home to the Edmonton Police Service Human-Centred Engagement and Liaison Partnership (HELP) unit and its main goal is to help serve the needs of the city s most vulnerable. Photo by Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Article content
An Edmonton Police Service program to divert the city’s most vulnerable away from the criminal justice system now has a new building with social agencies and health services working together under the same roof.
EDMONTON The Tipinawâw shelter at the Edmonton Convention Centre will remain in place until April 30. City council voted unanimously Thursday to provide the extra $2.2 million administration says is needed to operate the temporary shelter for another month. The shelter was previously slated to close March 31. While city councillors did approve the temporary shelter s extension, some pointed out that the makeshift space should still be seen as a band-aid solution to a problem in need of more permanent measures. I think we ve learned a lot about the standard of care and meeting people where they re at, Mayor Don Iveson said shortly before council s vote.
Posted: Mar 04, 2021 10:56 AM MT | Last Updated: March 4
The Tipinawâw temporary pandemic shelter is set to close at the end of the month, so the city approved a new plan for other shelter spaces over the next 6 months.(Trevor Wilson/CBC)
The temporary pandemic shelter Tipinawâw at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Jasper Avenue will remain open until the end of April, city council agreed unanimously at a meeting Thursday.
The extended operations will cost $2.2 million, an amount available in a COVID-19-specific fund set aside in the city s stabilization reserve. This is in addition to the $8 million the city invested in the shelter last fall.
The campaign had more than 8,200 entries and roughly 1,860 participants who spent $220,880.
“(Last year) was an incredibly challenging year for our retailers and downtown shoppers,” mall marketing manager Zaina Yusuf said in a Wednesday news release. “We wanted to do our part by offering support through the Season of Giving initiative.”
The campaign was also a fundraiser for the Mustard Seed, a Christian non-profit organization, with the mall committed to donating $2.50 for every $25 spent and for every customer entry submitted. In addition to the $12,000, the mall also provided 600 items of warm clothing.
Mustard Seed development specialist Alexandra Scivoletto said in the news release that the campaign was incredibly successful.