Red Deer homeless strategy touted as example for Canada

Red Deer is being praised for the way the city tackles homelessness.

The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness says the citys strategy getting people in homes before addressing their other issues is an example the rest of the country should follow.

Red Deers Housing First Program has placed more than 300 people in homes since 2010, said spokespersonBarb Barber.

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If people don't have a house, and some stability that way, it's really hard to focus on any other aspect in your life, she said.

The program is a chance at a fresh start for 26-year-old oil worker JesseDyvig afterstruggles with alcohol abuse left him homeless.

Continued support

Dyvig said stories like his are common in Alberta.

Most of them have gone through the oil patch,made a tonof money and, you know, only trouble can come from a 20-something making six digits a year, he said.

Barber attributes theprograms success to the fact that ateam of support workers spends a full year working with people once they are placed in a home.

Its not like we rush out and we find you an apartment and we hand you the keyshere is a couch, here is a bed, here is a loaf of breadthank you very much.Give us a call if you need us, she said.

Dyvig said he wants to be part of that success story.

They have the workers that stay in touch with you so you can kind of build some stability and sort of retrain yourself to live as a normal human being, he said.

If they didn't have programs like this I am not even sure I would be alive right now.