CEO & President of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, Tim Richter, spoke earlier this week with Bryn Griffiths host of 630 CHED Afternoons on homelessness, tent fires and the current rise in housing insecurity in Edmonton and across Canada. 

On the wave of homelessness currently rising across the country, Tim Richter said: 

We’re seeing a wave of new homelessness across the country. It really began during the pandemic and it has surged since then. We probably have between 260,000 to 300,000 Canadians experiencing homelessness over the course of a year and that’s a good 30% higher than what it has been.

On the surprising demographics of the people who are experiencing homelessness now: 

You see the demographic of homelessness shifting as people are really being pushed out the bottom end of the rental housing market. It’s everything from people turning up at the Pearson airport in Toronto seeking asylum from somewhere else in the world to seniors being forced out of their homes to young people to Indigenous people.

On how Edmonton lost the progress it had made reducing homelessness: 

Edmonton had the largest reduction of homelessness of any major Canadian city, nearly 43% between 2009 and 2019. It was a stunning achievement. But that was largely erased since 2019 and the cost of living crisis.

Listen to the full audio for more revelations on what has led to the rise of homelessness in Edmonton and how to counter homelessness on 630 CHED.