Homelessness in Our Community
Medicine Hat’s Plan to End Homelessness originated in 2009 and our refocused plan, At Home in Medicine Hat: Our Plan to End Homelessness, launched in 2014. The Plan is based on a ‘housing with supports’ philosophy and outlines an effective strategy to address homelessness in the community. A comprehensive and coordinated system of care has been built and continues to evolve, ensuring timely access to the right resources and supports to prevent and end homelessness in peoples’ lives.
The Homeless and Housing Development Department functions as the Community Entity, established for the purposes of system planner and administering funding targeted to initiatives aimed at ending homelessness.
The following are the key roles of a lead organization:
Work cross-ministry to develop, implement, coordinate and evaluate the system of care and disrupt systems when needed (Health, Justice, Education, Children’s Services, Assisted Living and Social Services).
Local leadership and decision making. The cost savings and efficiency of this approach have been clearly demonstrated, and government support for local autonomy in backbone entity-driven system planning along with the provision of resources and enabling policy is critical. Community decisions about community outcomes.
Consult and engage with diverse stakeholders to support implementation; targets capacity building initiatives, including comprehensive training and technical assistance for the sector.
Manages diverse funding streams to meet community priorities, compliance, program and system performance management, evaluation, and reporting requirements to funders. Investing in services with proven integration and sustainability.
Oversight and implementation of the shared data collection system. Analysis to help make data-informed decisions to determine services and create system efficiencies.
Planning and Investment
Approximately $1M dollars of federal funding is invested annually into organizations to support the successful implementation programs. Recommendations for investments are vetted through the 12 member Community Council on Homelessness.
The planning and investment strategy for April 1st to March 31st funding cycle commences in the fall of each year with program monitors and community-wide engagement sessions.
Programs and Services
Medicine Hat has dedicated community partners, funded and non-funded agencies that support this work and ensure that everyone is working towards helping people on their journey home. The following programs received funding from the Community Entity for 2026 – 2027 (April 1st to March 31st) service delivery year:
Medicine Hat Community Housing Society –Outreach Department serves as the coordinated access system into housing with supports programs in the community. Housing Link assesses the housing and support needs of individuals and families that are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless including those being transitioned and/or discharged into homelessness from community-based provincial or federal systems/facilities treatment, hospital, and child welfare, using the SPDAT. Upon completion of the assessment, a referral to the most appropriate program is made.
Rapid Resolution serves individuals and families that are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless who score 0-60 on the SPDAT and who do not require the duration or intensity of existing case management services through housing with supports programming. The role of the Outreach Case Manager worker is to assist individuals to establish housing security through the provision of brief, client focused, direct hands on intervention and support.
Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, through Housing Link, provides housing with supports through intensive case management (ICM) for individuals and families who experience chronic and episodic homelessness and who present with higher acuity needs. The duration of the program is approximately 12 months.
The Eagles Nest (ARCH) fills a critical gap in services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness with complex needs. Participants at The Eagles Nest have cycled repeatedly through the existing system of care without ever receiving the appropriate level and type of support.
The Eagles Nest programming is rooted in two core strengths:
1. A wraparound, collaborative support model;
2. An “as you are” approach to addressing individuals’ needs grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and healing.
Medicine Hat Emergency Shelter Providers
Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter
Phone: 403.529.109
Toll-Free: 800.661.7949
The Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society supports individuals impacted by family violence by providing them with safe shelter, education, advocacy and access to community resources.
Mustard Seed Shelter
737 – 8 Street SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Phone: 825.222.4636
The Mustard Seed operates a 30-bed capacity emergency adult shelter.