Red Deer District Chamber Responds to Recent Point-in-Time Homeless Count; Calls for Board Members..
Red Deer District Chamber Responds to Recent Point-in-Time Homeless Count; Calls for Board Members for new Homeless Foundation
For Immediate Release
The Red Deer District Chamber is deeply concerned by the findings of the City of Red Deer’s most recent Point-in-Time Homeless Count, which underscores the urgent need for immediate and decisive action to support Red Deer’s most vulnerable residents.
“We launched the Red Deer Chamber Homeless Taskforce in 2023 after the Point-in-Time Count had doubled in 2022, to understand and identify solutions that could be adopted in our community. Homelessness is a shared responsibility that impacts the economic and social health of Red Deer. The COMMUNITY needs to re-engage to address homelessness.” says Scott Robinson, CEO of the Red Deer District Chamber.
The Taskforce identified six themes that contribute to homelessness in our community. Its primary recommendation was to create a foundation dedicated to identifying sustainable solutions and mobilizing key community stakeholders to address the homelessness crisis with both compassion and urgency by the end of 2024. This goal has been achieved.
Lyn Radford, Chair of the Homelessness Task Force Transition Committee, echoed the Chamber’s call for a new approach. “As Tony Robbins likes to say, ‘If you do what you’ve always done you will get what you have always gotten.’ It’s time to shake things up, shift our paradigms, and pursue new ideas. Red Deer is a community that has always come together, rallied around common objectives, and found solutions where solutions don’t exist. The Time is Now!”
The Chamber has led on this file because homelessness deeply affects the business community by straining local resources, limiting economic opportunities, and impacting the vibrancy of Red Deer’s downtown core. More importantly, addressing homelessness is essential to building a healthier, more inclusive community for everyone.
The Red Deer District Chamber remains committed to supporting solutions that bring businesses, government, and community organizations together to address this crisis head-on. This past 6 months The Chamber has taken immediate steps to implement the recommendations emerging from the Task Force, ensuring Red Deer’s most vulnerable have access to stable housing and essential support systems.
The Homeless Foundation for Red Deer Region is now recruiting Board Members who are being asked to redefine how we support the unhoused.
The Chamber calls on community leaders to learn more about a new path forward at https://www.reddeerchamber.com/homeless-task-force and consider being part of the solution!
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Scott Robinson, CEO
Red Deer District Chamber
403-347-4491
