Destroyed sheds used by Wetaskiwin homeless had been slated for removal

Two sheds used to shelter Wetaskiwin'svulnerablepopulation from extreme weather burned down Monday but the structures were already slated for removal, a city employee says.

Director of Community Services Kevin Lucas said the sheds were to be removed sometime in October, as they're used as skate shacks during the winter months.

The city put up the sheds in August to provide a shaded place for people who had no other escape from the heat. They were a temporary measure, Lucas said, and were never meant to be used as homeless shelters.

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But now that the wooden structures have been destroyed, vulnerable people in the area don't have anything to protect themselves from the elements.

The city is working with the four bands from nearby Maskwacis to find a long-term solution.

"There's got to be a solution out there somewhere," Lucassaid. "We're just kind of on the surface, scratching in to find it."

Wetaskiwincity council will start exploring its options within the next few weeks, Lucas said, noting he hopes the conversation expands beyond providing shelter.

It turns into more of a transportation issue than it does a homelessness issue.- Kevin Lucas,Director of Community Services

"This is more of a transient homelessness that we're trying to assist with," he said. "So what we're told by the RCMP is the people have homes, but when they're in the community, they can't get back to their homes [in Maskwacis].

"So it turns into more of a transportation issue than it does a homelessness issue."

Because there isn't bus service between Wetaskiwin and Maskwacis, people often hitchhike, use taxis, or get rides from friends.

'We're starting from zero'

Vinjelu Muyaba is the pastor for Lighthouse Church, which has a clothing and food pantry, and provides a meal to vulnerable people every Sunday. He said transportation is a secondary issue.

"As much as people think that we can just collect them and send everybody to Maskwacis and they'll have a place to stay, that is not a truth," Muyaba said, noting housing is limited for the First Nation community's growing population.

"The places that people would stay, you know, are places that already have 20 people in their house."

Homelessness is a shared problem, he said, and should be tackled by community leaders in both Wetaskiwin and Maskwacis. Their top priority should be ensuring the roughly 35 homeless people in the area don't freeze this winter, he said.

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"The need is urgent, and we don't have two years to plan out something and figure something out because of just the potential risk that's there," he said.

Lighthouse Church is hoping to secure funding to turn Manny's Motel on Wetaskiwin's south side into a shelter with transitional housing. At the very least, the church hopes to establish a warming shelter, which would have tables and chairs, but not beds.

At this point, anything is better than nothing.- VinjeluMuyaba, Pastor forLighthouse Church

"We have to remember where we're starting from. We're starting from zero," Muyaba said. "In other words, at this point, anything is better than nothing."

The conversation about homelessness in the area has been a hot topic since the implementation of the sheds. Muyaba hopes it leads to meaningful change.

"I'm just happy that as a community, we're talking about it," he said. "And I think that in the midst of a lot of conversation, then at least you can find solutions."