Lloydminster’s recent Housing and Homelessness Symposium brought together key local leaders to discuss the growing issue of homelessness and the solutions needed to tackle it.
Read more: Symposium to shed light on homelessness
The event, held May 7 at the Nissan Hall, featured a mix of community members, local organization, and experts who shared insights into the struggles and potential ways forward.
City councillor Michael Diachuck shared his thoughts on the event, explaining its purpose and the goals that drove the discussions.
“We wanted to raise awareness about what causes homelessness, the gaps in our community, and the barriers keeping people stuck in homelessness,” said Diachuck. “It was important to look at solutions from other communities and see if we can adapt them to our situation here.”
The symposium revealed that one of the most pressing challenges in addressing homelessness is the lack of adequate transitional and supportive housing in the city. Tyler Lorenz, CEO of Residents in Recovery, pointed to this issue as a significant barrier to solving homelessness.
“The main challenge is the lack of transitional and supportive housing,” said Lorenz. “We have very limited capacity, and that is a primary barrier to getting people off the streets.”
Diachuck agreed, adding that systemic issues compound these challenges.
“Access to affordable housing is a significant problem,” he said.
“We need to create a system that ensures people can get the help they need to transition from homelessness.”
Lorenz and Diachuck stressed the urgent need for supportive housing, especially for individuals struggling with mental health challenges or
addiction.
“It’s hard to keep people housed when mental health and addiction issues are not being addressed,” said Lorenz. “We have very little in the way of supportive housing for people dealing with these challenges. That’s a huge gap that we need to fill.”
Lorenz also discussed the role government funding plays in addressing the housing shortage.
“There are capital project initiatives funded by the federal government,” he explained. “But to access those grants, we need proposals that are shovel-ready. We need the city and other partners to work with us to make those proposals happen.”
Another topic of discussion was the municipal role.
“The city can support these efforts by providing property for development or offering incentives like tax exemptions,” said Diachuck, stressing it’s not just about one level of government working in isolation.
“It’s about all three levels of government coming together, federal, provincial, and municipal, to support these projects,” he said. “We need a coordinated approach to make it work.”
Lorenz expressed his optimism about the future, despite the challenges.
“We have several projects in the works,” he said. “Myself, Kagen (Kneen) at the men’s shelter, and Becky (Schille) at the Olive Tree, we all have proposals ready to go. If we can secure funding and support from all levels of government, we can make these projects a reality.”
One of the key takeaways from the symposium was the importance of community involvement. Both Lorenz and Diachuck stressed that local businesses and residents have a crucial role to play.
“If we had the funding, we could start these projects right now. That’s where the community can make a real difference,” said Lorenz.
The symposium also gave attendees a chance to hear from experts and share ideas. Diachuck pointed to Kim’s talk as one of the highlights.
“Kim’s talk really opened my eyes,” he said. “We are making progress with First Nations communities, but there’s always more work to do.”
Lorenz shared his appreciation for Chris Gormin’s insights into housing-first strategies.
“I’ve always believed in the housing-first approach,” said Lorenz. “But hearing Chris break it down really helped me see it from a new
perspective.”
The event also highlighted the progress Lloydminster has made in addressing homelessness.
“We are ahead of many other communities,” said Lorenz. “The shelter here is one of five across Canada that’s part of a pilot project focused on housing. It’s already making a
difference.”
Both Lorenz and Diachuck were hopeful that the symposium would lead to concrete action.
“The momentum from this has to keep going,” said Diachuck. “We can’t let these conversations die out.”
Diachuck also expressed gratitude for the city’s support.
“Without their support, this symposium wouldn’t have been possible,” he said.
Lorenz shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration.
Both leaders expressed confidence that meaningful progress will follow when the right resources and partnerships align.
“We are well on our way to tackling this issue,” said Lorenz. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’re making strides.”
Diachuck expressed hope for the future.
“We’ve taken some important steps,” he said. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done. This symposium has shown us what’s possible if we all work together.”
Community members should take action if they want to see changes. That is one of the main messages organizers share from the event.
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