Terrace Heights Supportive Housing Good Neighbour Plan and Building Design

Engagement has concluded

Thank you for participating in the online engagement. The online survey and ask a question tool are now closed.

You can still view the questions and answers that were submitted on this page.

A report on what we heard will be available fall 2020. If you have any questions, please contact supportivehousing@edmonton.ca


Because of public health restrictions, the City cannot host in-person public engagement as we normally would. Instead, we are using Engaged Edmonton to gather community feedback until 11:55 PM on September 22, 2020.


Have your say:

  1. Watch the video below to learn more about the project.
  2. Fill out a survey on the Good Neighbour Plan and building design.
  3. Ask a question about the project in the tool below.


Thank you for participating in the online engagement. The online survey and ask a question tool are now closed.

You can still view the questions and answers that were submitted on this page.

A report on what we heard will be available fall 2020. If you have any questions, please contact supportivehousing@edmonton.ca


Because of public health restrictions, the City cannot host in-person public engagement as we normally would. Instead, we are using Engaged Edmonton to gather community feedback until 11:55 PM on September 22, 2020.


Have your say:

  1. Watch the video below to learn more about the project.
  2. Fill out a survey on the Good Neighbour Plan and building design.
  3. Ask a question about the project in the tool below.


Engagement has concluded

  • I support the proposed Terrace Heights supportive housing project. Edmonton is making great leaps in helping people in need regain control over their lives by providing them with a home. Having a secure place to live is a health issue. All kinds of people live in our neighbourhood. I believe it is incorrect to assume that anyone living in supportive housing poses a threat to our safety. I have lived in this community for decades. We are strong and welcoming enough to open our community to a few people who need the security of their own home.

    terraceheights asked over 3 years ago

    Thank you for sharing your feedback.

  • I am not opposed to Supportive Housing. My family has struggled firsthand with mental health and addiction issues and I believe that more resources should be devoted to helping those with such. We have a huge homeless problem in the city and that needs to be addressed. However, I strongly feel that a mistake is being made by bringing the homeless into established neighbourhoods that did not previously have this type of housing. When I choose a neighborhood to buy a home and raise my family, I did not choose the inner city or an area with a high population of vulnerable, homeless, drug/alcohol addicted people. I did not want to raise my children in that environment. I don’t feel that it is right to suddenly place a large building and fill it with vulnerable people in a neighborhood that has never had this type of housing. Are the people on city council who are in favour of this project open to having one of these built next to their homes? Do they want their children growing up in this environment? I feel very nervous walking outside alone in certain parts of the city (where the vulnerable live, hang outside, do drugs, smoke, drink, fight, scream) and I hate the idea of being too nervous to walk alone in my own neighborhood where I was born and raised, and choose to raise my family. I know that it has been said that studies show that there is no increase in crime, etc. I don’t think your studies/stats are correct. How do you come up with these stats? Could you please provide me with the statistics from the temporary placement of vulnerable people into the Coliseum Inn? Is the Coliseum Inn being run by Homeward Trust? How have they been taking care of that building? What has happened to the Tim Horton’s and other buildings nearby? Based on driving past this area, I already know the answer. Vandalism has increased. The Coliseum Inn has been trashed; Tim Horton’s drive-thru window smashed. There is garbage and people lying all over the streets. I know that during the pandemic, homeless people were brought into the Expo Centre for social distancing. Could you please release the stats on everything that was wrecked and the cost to fix all of the damage in that building? I also know that giving the vulnerable free access to transit has caused many buses and LRT cars to be put out of service due to vandalism, because they lit fires, peed, defecated, and smashed windows.  I am not saying that we should deny the homeless from any resources, I am simply saying that we need to be smart about where they are located, and consider the safety of the general public. If we look at the mess around the coliseum, or parts of inner city downtown, is that what we can expect Terrace Heights to look like? Will there be someone on site 24/7 to ensure that the program and building are being run and maintained the way that you are proposing?

    kdlaw asked over 3 years ago

    We know we can’t solve our City’s homelessness crisis by concentrating all our efforts in one or two central communities. That’s why the City has set a goal of building 900 units of supportive housing by 2024. This is one of the first four sites, and more will be built in communities across Edmonton.

    Supportive housing and its residents are most successful when they are part of a welcoming community. The residents have a safe and stable permanent home and receive all the support they need on site. The building is staffed 24/7 and there will be operational and property management standards to ensure it is well run. You can learn more about supportive housing, including a link to the City's statistics on crime and non-market housing, by reading the FAQs at edmonton.ca/supportivehousing 

    You'll find answers to many common questions in the two information sessions we held with local experts on supportive housing:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIe8yjgWf0&t=2195s

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIkvH3QtX8U&t=3908s

    It's important to understand that the day-use and isolation shelter at the Expo Centre was a temporary measure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It did not provide continuous stay accomodation; rather, people who were not isolating had to leave to find an overnight shelter. The bridge housing program at the Coliseum Inn, another emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is being run by Boyle Street Community Services and provides temporary housing for people as they work on securing permanent housing. These are very different models from supportive housing, which is a permanent home to the people who live there. It provides safety, stability, and meets all basic needs - shelter, hygiene facilities, food and social connection.

  • I’m very glad to welcome this supportive housing to the neighborhood. All of our neighbours deserve dignity and safe homes. I recognize the value in developing mixed neighbourhoods with different income levels and housing—the strategy enriches community and avoids creating ghettos by over concentrating low income. I do wonder if any of these developments are planned for Terwillegar or other high income neighbourhoods? Part of the reason I’m excited to see this here is that I’ve noticed an increase in people sleeping rough in our area. I realize some people prefer to stay outdoors but what is the expected impact of these supportive housing units on homelessness? Do you expect a reduction in street population in our neighbourhoods?

    Anne Brown asked over 3 years ago

    The City is committed to building 900 units of supportive housing by 2024 and has selected these City-owned parcels for the first four locations. More locations will be identified as we work toward that goal and new locations will be selected based on the same criteria that identified these sites: ready for development, well integrated with the surrounding land uses and built form, and close to amenities and services for residents, like transit, grocery stores, and recreation opportunities, like rec centres, libraries and parks.

    If approved, these four supportive housing sites will bring us closer to that goal by adding 150 units to the city's supply and will help reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness citywide. The residents will be matched with a site based on their needs and the support a specific site offers; resident choice is also a determining factor.

  • I support the proposed Terrace Heights supportive housing project. Edmonton is making great leaps in helping people in need regain control over their lives by providing them with a home. Having a secure place to live is a health issue. All kinds of people live in our neighbourhood. I believe it is incorrect to assume that anyone living in supportive housing poses a threat to our safety. I have lived in this community for decades. We are strong and welcoming enough to open our community to a few people who need the security of their own home.

    terraceheights asked over 3 years ago
    If you have not already, we invite you to share your thoughts through the survey on this page. Thank you.
  • My concerns are the elderly, families and children. If you put support housing where they cannot pay for themselves than that means they have no money which means they will be creeping in our backyards. Secondly, do they have serious criminal records ? Lastly, we pay top dollar property taxes to live near the valley and if the city allows more establishments like this built here, than I think you should lower our taxes equivalent to more crime filled areas in the north. We should also have more alley lights installed. Some areas are really dark still. Also in relation to the comment below, “ We have no evidence to suggest that supportive housing increases crime, and in fact, supportive housing has proven to reduce residents’ interactions with police. An analysis of a supportive housing site in downtown Edmonton saw a 46 per cent drop in interactions between residents and police in the 2 years after they moved in, compared to the 2 years before. ”, based off these stats, you are saying that putting these residents here we will essentially have an increase of 53% police to subsidized residents interactions ? How is that good for our community ? I think you guys need to relocate this proposed site to a more appropriate area its a potential social disruption. We already have had an increase of crime here lately and I worked hard to love from a crime filled area to a safe area here in terrace heights. I really would like to keep it safe and respectable.

    Safety1st asked over 3 years ago

    Residents of supportive housing sign a lease, just as any other tenant, and pay below-market rent for their unit. They are able to pay rent, either through income support or employment, and receive help with financial management. 

    Residents in supportive housing have their other basic needs provided for, including meals, health care services and any other support they need to lead to regain stability. Individuals are vetted based on their commitment to maintain housing and suitability for a particular building and the operator will establish standards of behaviour for residents living in supportive housing. Some residents work, go to school, or volunteer while others focus on regaining stability in their lives.

    We understand communities have concerns about how the developments will impact crime and safety. However, we have no evidence to suggest that supportive housing increases crime. Insp. Dan Jones of the Edmonton Police Service discussed this topic during our information sessions:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIe8yjgWf0&t=2195s

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIkvH3QtX8U&t=3908s  

    The City has also studied the impact of non-market housing on the safety of five core neighbourhoods and found there was no correlation between crime and non-market housing, including supportive housing. You can learn more here: https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/documents/PDF/AnalysisofNonMarketHousingCrimeandSocialDisorder.PDF 

  • This project is described as permanent housing. For the residents that are able to eventually reach stability (e.g. no addiction, employment, no major mental health issues, etc.) and maintain this for some time, are they asked to move out? This could then provide space for someone else in need of housing and the supportive services provided.

    Inquirer asked over 3 years ago

    Homeward Trust and its operators approach supportive housing from the belief that people can grow, recover and evolve. Supportive housing helps people stabilize and some residents work toward employment and do move on to market housing. However, there is no time limit and residents may stay as long as they feel they need the support and community that supportive housing provides.    

  • I am wondering if there will be volunteer opportunities or community engagement initiatives that will allow the nearby residents to meet and engage with the supportive housing residents? I am excited for our community to be a place where people can begin to rebuild their lives in safety, but I think an important part of that is making them feel like they have a place in the community. I worry that people will successfully stabilize their lives, but when they try to leave the supportive housing fall back into bad habits and unhealthy social circles. If we can provide a way for them to feel like part of the community perhaps we can avoid that.

    ihansen asked over 3 years ago

    Supportive housing and its residents are most successful when it is integrated with its surrounding community. The feedback collected in the survey will help inform the final Good Neighbour Plan between the community and the operator. If community engagement initiatives and volunteer opportunities are important to you, please provide that input in the survey. 

  • I would like the City to provide more details on specific statistics, opposed to generally vague answers about community safety. “An analysis of a supportive housing site in downtown Edmonton saw a 46 per cent drop in interactions between residents and police in the 2 years after they moved in, compared to the 2 years before.” Is this a best case scenario of 46% decrease for these residents? This only addresses that these individuals had less interactions with police, if you are bringing in these residents from elsewhere, they are increasing the neighborhood police interactions. Where are these residents coming from? Are they existing community members or are they being brought in from elsewhere? I would like to see concrete statistics and numbers from before and after supportive housing is implemented in similar mature neighborhoods. How many calls before and after, rate of theft and crime before and after, residents feeling of safety before and after. If these are positive statistics in similar communities then the City should be bragging about these statistics. There are already homeless people living in the ravine, what happens if these people are kicked out of their residences for one reason or another or lose funding? They are now familiar with the neighborhood and have no means to support or house themselves, this will lead to an increase in crime. If some of these residents have substance abuse problems and relapse, it will bring increased crime to the neighborhood as well. Why are there no locations proposed for the South half of the city? This is a mature neighborhood and park space is a limited resource, some of these facilities should be located in newer neighborhoods where the space is being developed. No one is saying that homelessness is not a problem in the City, but this is not the right location, it is right next to the park where children play & go to the library. The City seems to be going ahead with this location regardless of what residents say in this neighborhood. Once this is built, there is no going back.

    Friendly Neighbor asked over 3 years ago

    Thank you for your questions. The City is committed to building 900 units of supportive housing by 2024 and has selected these four City-owned parcels, one of which is in King Edward Park on the city's south side, for the first locations. More locations will be identified as we work toward that goal.

    We understand communities have concerns about how the developments will impact crime and safety. However, we have no evidence to suggest that supportive housing increases crime. Insp. Dan Jones of the Edmonton Police Service discussed this topic during our information sessions:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIe8yjgWf0&t=2195s

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIkvH3QtX8U&t=3908s

    The City has also studied the impact of non-market housing on the safety of five core neighbourhoods and found there was no correlation between crime and non-market housing, including supportive housing. You can learn more here: https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/documents/PDF/AnalysisofNonMarketHousingCrimeandSocialDisorder.PDF

    You can also hear more about what happens if someone is not successful in supportive housing in this clip from our information session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIkvH3QtX8U&t=3496s 

  • I am scared for our children in the community, as we have so far great shared park and library near by. With supportive housing these individuals will be wondering around to where children will be playing. I was excited to see the beautiful library and Starbucks and small mall built near by. But logistically I do not understand how this supportive housing will help businesses that are already struggling with this. I think the city should focus more on Improving this area, nice dog parks and taking care of the wild Coyotes that living in the ravine. I feel that there are other much better places logistically that make sense to place supportive housing: The downtown core where people are sleeping on the street and getting food near by. There is also access to daily work and community support services in walking distance in this area. I would like to see published studies and all stakeholder consultations done by the City to propose this Project.

    Ivanna.lewington asked over 3 years ago

    We know we can’t solve our City’s homelessness crisis by concentrating all our efforts in one or two central communities. That’s why the City has set a goal of building 900 units of supportive housing by 2024. These is one of the first  of those sites, and more will be built in communities across Edmonton.

    The design, construction, appearance, physical integrity, and maintenance of supportive housing provides an environment that is home-like, functional, safe and secure, conducive to residents/tenants’ stability, and appropriate for the surrounding neighbourhood. Supportive housing also offers wraparound services and daily programming on-site, reducing the need to be located close to services in the city’s core.

    We understand that community members have concerns and that the safety of children is always top of mind. Inspector Dan Jones of the Edmonton Police Service addressed this issue in our September 1 livestream. You can watch his answer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIe8yjgWf0&t=6096s

  • I have lived in the Ottewell area for 20 years now and have experienced a steady increase in property and vehicle theft in the past few years. I really do not think it is fair to put this type of housing into our neighborhood!! Who makes this type of decision?!!

    Urban Legend asked over 3 years ago

    Residents in supportive housing have their basic needs provided for, including meals, health care services and other supports. Some residents work, go to school, or volunteer while others focus on regaining stability in their lives. 

    Individuals are vetted based on their commitment to maintain housing and suitability for a particular building. The operator will establish standards of behaviour for residents living in supportive housing.

    We have no evidence to suggest that supportive housing increases crime, and in fact, supportive housing has proven to reduce residents’ interactions with police. An analysis of a supportive housing site in downtown Edmonton saw a 46 per cent drop in interactions between residents and police in the 2 years after they moved in, compared to the 2 years before.

    The City has also studied the impact of non-market housing on the safety of five core neighbourhoods and found there was no correlation between crime and non-market housing, including supportive housing.