Introduction

Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (EJPCOH) is very active on several fronts. These initiatives move our community forward toward effective community-based solutions to our current housing-related challenges.

Our initiatives focus on building a better awareness of the issues and developing the information-base to support better social and community decision-making.

EJPCOH’s projects are implemented through its very small staff, active volunteers, community organizations staff and consultants hired as the project requires.

We encourage anyone interested in getting involved to contact us at           (780) 944-5697.

Current and Completed Initiatives:

Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005 – 2009

The new Community Plan provides strategic direction to guide the type of projects undertaken and the distribution of resources utilized in housing related initiatives for Edmonton until 2009.

The plan was built in consultation with the community – both those that will benefit from the programs and services and those agencies that work to implement community-based solutions.

This new plan follows the previously approved Community Plan on Homelessness 2000 – 2003.

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Community Awareness Campaign

In the fall of 2003, EJPCOH undertook a major awareness campaign targeted to Edmontonians and targeted decision makers. The campaign was designed to increase awareness of the current housing shortage and encourage participation and/or support for solutions proposed through the approved community plan.

The campaign was updated in the winter of 2005-2006 and features new billboards, bus shelter posters, radio and TV spots.

This campaign is funded through the Federal government's National Homelessness Initiative in support of the existing Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005 - 2009.

Check out our billboards, bus shelter posters, our radio ad and our two TV spots.

Radio Ads: Radio Advertisement
TV Ads: 

TV Spot A

TV Spot B  (NOTE: Requires RealPlayer Version 10.5)

Awareness Enhancement Fund

This promotional fund has been established to provide modest promotional support for activities that community partners undertake that help EJPCOH deliver its communication message to the widest audience. The Articles of Agreement and the application form provide details. If you have a question about whether your activity is eligible don't hesitate to contact us at 944-5697.

Evaluation of Current Community Plan

The Performance Monitoring Committee will complete a formal evaluation of the progress made toward realizing the Community Plan on Housing and and Support Services 2005 – 2009. This evaluation will highlight the achievements to date and identify the outstanding challenges that need to be addressed in future plans. The evaluation provides part of the program accountability required by each of the funding agencies.

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Edmonton Homeless Study

The Edmonton Homelessness Study 2004 was a project, sponsored by the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing, to generate information on the characteristics of persons in Edmonton who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. The study identified the gaps in the system of supports for homeless persons, homelessness risk factors, and homelessness prevention and intervention strategies, policies and programs.

Several information sources suggest that homelessness in Edmonton is growing in magnitude and complexity. These include recent "Counts of Homeless Persons", current usage and turnaways at existing emergency shelters, and information from organizations serving the homeless.

The project Steering Committee contracted with the consulting firm of Vista Evaluation & Research Services (Calgary) to undertake the study in view of Vista's academic expertise and practical knowledge in surveying homeless persons and in view of similar work recently conducted in Calgary.

For the Edmonton Study, Vista conducted quantitative surveys with 330 persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and in-depth interviews with 70 of those persons. To conduct the surveys, Vista engaged persons who have had direct experience with homelessness.

The full study became available in August 2004 and can be obtained by contacting us. The executive summary is available at the link above.

Homeless Count

The Research Committee is currently reviewing the methodology that has been used in the previous Homeless Counts. While the current approach can provide a year to year trend, the Committee is exploring ways to improve the overall accuracy of the actual count. This is in preparation for the 2006 Homeless Count.

For details on previous Homeless Counts click below:

		Homeless Count 2002 (290k)
		Homeless Count 2000 (193k)
		The above documents are available for download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. This requires the FREE Acrobat Reader program. Download here. There are two options to view the PDF. If you have the 'PDFViewer' plugin installed, the PDF will automatically load in your browser. If you do not have the plugin, right click the link and save the PDF to your desired location. Open and view with Acrobat Reader

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Achievements to Date

• Completion of the first Community Plan on Homelessness 2000 - 2003
• Completion of the second Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005 - 2009
• Implementation of priority activities within the community plan through six standing committees.
• Review and update of the Community Plan (2002) to re-prioritize activities to meet current needs.
• Six Homeless Counts completed using over 800 volunteers.
• Commissioned the 2004 Edmonton Homelessness Study
• Supported the “Building Successful Partnerships Community Gathering and Trade Show” with over 180 stakeholders and participants in attendance.
• Funded the "Building a Foundation: A Portfolio of Innovative Approaches to Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Edmonton" study.
• Funded a review of the literature for homeless youth in Edmonton.

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