City creates new local task force on housing and homelessness

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi speaks to CTV News Edmonton on Jan. 24, 2024.

Nearly four months after city council declared a housing and homelessness issue in Edmonton, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi on Friday announced the creation of a new local task force to tackle the issue.

Sohi made the announcement during a State of the City address co-presented by his office and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce to a room full of business leaders.

The Community Mobilization Task Force on Housing and Homelessness has 16 members with an array of backgrounds and expertise.

It includes current and former city councillors, developers, Indigenous voices and people who work in a range of social services.

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Sohi said the task force's goal is to create more housing options in Edmonton with a focus on non-market and supportive housing.

"This is not about studying the issue," Sohi told media following the address.

"We have studied the issue, we know why houselessness exists, this is about implementing solutions, and finding creative innovative ways of unlocking some of those solutions."

There are no representatives from the provincial government on the task force. The mayor says that's because the city is looking locally for innovative solutions.

He said the province and Ottawa will always be important partners when it comes to funding for housing projects.

"We cannot do that without their support, but there's so much community knowledge out there, and the role of the task force is to unlock the knowledge," Sohi said.