Tri-region's latest community report released

PARKLAND COUNTY -- A new report on housing and homelessness in the Parkland County region has been unveiled.

The report is built upon surveys conducted in previous years and seeks to address poverty and inform future decision-making at the local, provincial, and federal levels. The report revealed that 49 out of 56 respondents in the region are housing insecure.

The top three reasons reported by survey respondents for housing insecurity in the region were high housing costs, health challenges, and conflict and violence. 18 per cent of housing insecure respondents indicated that they experienced violence, abuse, and unwanted sexual activity and reported staying in emergency and domestic violence shelters. 49 per cent of housing insecure respondents said they were employed at the time of the survey.

Access to food was identified as the top priority by the majority of survey respondents.

Based on the survey population, respondents identifying as women in Parkland County and Stony Plain are 4.2 times more likely to be housing insecure when compared to their male counterparts. 95 per cent of indigenous respondents in Parkland County and Stony Plain, and 94 per cent of indigenous respondents in Spruce Grove were housing insecure.

Based on the report, three opportunities have been identified to address housing insecurity in the future. These include fostering community awareness and understanding of housing insecurity, increasing awareness of and access to services, and encouraging sustainable housing growth in the Tri-Municipal Region.