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Examining Housing Insecurity in Vegreville
Examining Housing Insecurity in Vegreville
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
A community report examining housing and service needs in Vegreville has been released.
Members of town council were apprised of the results last month during a special presentation by Emma Wallace, Rural Development Network Program Manager, who was available through live feed from Ottawa.
Back in 2023, the Rural Development Network (RDN) partnered with the Vegreville Housing & Basic Needs Task Force to conduct a housing and service needs estimation. It was the first time this type of survey had ever been conducted in Vegreville, and the opportunity was made possible through a $75,000 grant provided by RDN.
The report highlights the number of residents who are housing insecure and their experiences with housing insecurity.
As stated in the report, “The report is intended to support decision making across organizations, funders and government around housing and homelessness by providing up to date data on housing and service needs in Vegreville. It can also be used in the community for program and advocacy purposes related to housing, homelessness and service needs.”
Vegreville Town Councillors Justin Curtis and Tina Warawa became involved with the Vegreville Housing & Basic Needs Task Force due to their previous appointments to the Family & Community Support Services Board. Coun. Curtis said, “This is where the idea for the Task Force was first brought forward. Our goal was to assist with the initial start-up and to offer advice and direction as it gained momentum. Our involvement also provided the opportunity to give feedback of this new committee to the other members of Council.
Currently, the Task Force membership sits informally around 25 members, each bringing valuable perspectives to the table. With the Rural Development Network funding ending on March 31 of this year, the committee will be looking for someone to take on the chairperson role when the coordinator’s employment contract ends.”
From March 1 to April 30 of 2023 an online survey was conducted. Of the 170 survey respondents, 45 self-identified as housing insecure with 13 indicating they were not sure. An additional 86 dependents and 156 adults were reported as living with housing insecure survey respondents. Based on survey results, there were at least 390 community members experiencing housing insecurity in Vegreville.
The top three reasons for housing insecurity in Vegreville as reported by survey respondents are:
1. Low wages
2. Inability to afford rent/mortgage payments
3. Mental health issues
Education, employment and income sources were also provided. Sixty-three percent of respondents are employed in some capacity and 40 percent of respondents make less than $30,000 a year. Additionally, three percent of housing insecure respondents were experiencing domestic/intimate partner violence in their living situations.
One of the top three reasons for housing insecurity as reported by respondents was mental health issues. It was also pointed out that five percent of respondents reported having slept in a makeshift shelter at the time of filling out the survey.
Respondents listed several services they believe are missing in Vegreville such as affordable and available childcare, lack of health services, lack of road infrastructure maintenance, lack of social and support services, lack of emergency shelter and lack of transportation.
Coun. Curtis feels it is vital that the residents of Vegreville are informed of who to reach out to in times of need. “Our FCSS department has a vast source of information for those requiring assistance and are available to work with residents in accessing the support services to suit their needs.”
He noted that, “The Task Force, leveraging insights from the Housing and Service Needs Estimation survey, brainstorming ideas for projects and seeking grants. One of the survey report's key recommendations identified a need for community education.
The Task Force is focusing toward offering initiatives that reduce stigma and dispel stereotypes surrounding individuals facing housing insecurity. The immediate steps involve project innovation, grant exploration, and a concerted effort toward fostering a more informed and supportive community.”
He went on to say, “Affordable housing is an issue that requires cooperation and financing from multiple levels of government. The Town of Vegreville is actively seeking grant opportunities from both the provincial and federal governments that would allow our municipality to work with the private sector toward a solution and we've been told some of these grants may open for application sometime in the coming weeks and months.”
