A long term conversation continues in Red Deer in terms of ending homelessness.

Last week the city released an annual report on homelessness initiatives, offering up data on people experiencing homelessness, and the housing and supports programs they are utilizing to find their way to more stable housing.

Over the last ten or so years more than one thousand individuals experiencing homelessness in Red Deer have been housed, 400 over the last couple of years.

Acting Social Planning Manager Tricia Hercina says while they are encouraged by those numbers, you can't read too much into them in terms of accurately gauging how many people are living on the streets.

“The numbers are always interesting because the more we ask and the more we look for the more we know, so numbers often appear like they are growing but in many cases that’s a good thing because we are housing those individuals and we are reaching them”.

Hercina says they'll be going out and working with the community again on next steps for future plans.

“Communities are going to be facing homelessness for a long period of time so our new conversations need to be about what does ending homelessness in Red Deer look like, how do we make sure there are systems in place to receive folks that fall into homelessness”.

You can view the From Homeless to Housed: 2016/2017 Annual Report on Red Deer’s Homelessness Initiatives here.