‘Not working in tandem’: MLA Phillips on tent encampments, city working on solutions

Downtown Lethbridge has been dealing with a number of the people camped out in tents as the city does not currently have a transitional housing option. Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips says the city and the province are not working in tandem to come up with a strategy. She says something needs to be done.

“That to me right away signals that we have a situation where people are not taking, the various levels are not taking an appropriate level of responsibility for what’s happening here, and we don’t have an overall strategy or leadership going, okay we have a problem here and it’s up to us to solve it. You have a UCP government that is entirely fixated on drinking their own bath water right now, they are not interested in solving problems for people. They are not getting up in the morning and going how do I make this better,” said Shannon Phillips, Lethbridge West MLA.

The city says they continue to work with key stakeholders to come up with appropriate solutions to meet the needs of the city’s most vulnerable.

“We are working for solutions. We also meet with a lot of non-profits and people that do things and hopefully soon on the city’s webpage and we will be putting out in the media, is an encampment sort of strategy to let everyone know what is happening. We are watching what’s happening across the country and different solutions that other areas are taking a chance on and seeing if they have good results. The biggest issue still continues for the people facing homelessness is the permanent support of housing,” said Mike Fox, Director of Community Services for the City of Lethbridge.