Lethbridge sees first drop in homelessness in a decade

Lethbridge is making progress in addressing homelessness. On Thursday, the Community Issues Committee (CIC) received positive updates on several programs aimed at reducing homelessness and improving community safety.

One update provided a joint report on the City’s encampment response and the 2025 Point-In-Time (PiT) Count. Results showed a three per cent, year-over-year decrease in homelessness.  The PiT Count occurred on October 2, 2025, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. It provides a snapshot of how many people in Lethbridge were experiencing homelessness on this one night. Results show the first recorded drop in local homelessness since counts began in 2014.

A total of 504 people were identified as experiencing homelessness. Based on 2021 census data, this equals about four people for every 1,000 residents. Although the number remains high, the decrease shows early progress after years of steady increases.

“After more than a decade of rising homelessness, seeing the first measurable decline is significant for our community,” says Andrew Malcolm, General Manager of Community Social Development. “This tells us that coordinated local efforts, targeted investments from all levels of government and strong partnerships across sectors are beginning to make an impact.”

Key Findings from the 2025 PiT Count

• Sheltered vs. Unsheltered: 54 per cent of people were in sheltered locations, while 46 per cent were unsheltered.
• Transitional Housing Growth: Capacity increased by 113 per cent, with 27 per cent more people using these spaces.
• Unsheltered Locations Decline: The number of people staying in unsheltered locations dropped by 18 per cent. This is likely due to new temporary housing programs.
• Shelter Capacity and Use: Adult emergency shelter capacity increased from 129 to 355 beds - a 175 per cent increase. However, shelter use went down by 22 per cent on the night of the count. This shows that homelessness is complex. More beds do not always mean more people will use them, and it highlights the need to keep working together to reduce barriers.
• Treatment Access: There was a 252 per cent increase in people accessing treatment facilities. This suggests more people are seeking recovery supports

“These results show that investments in transitional housing, treatment access and coordinated outreach are shifting the system in the right direction,” Malcolm says. “At the same time, the data reminds us that capacity alone doesn’t guarantee uptake. We need to continue working collaboratively to address barriers and ensure people can access the supports they need.”

The PiT Count is part of the national Everyone Counts initiative, under the federal Reaching Home program. Results from communities across Canada help build a shared understanding of homelessness at both local and national levels.

Additional Updates

Thursday’s CIC meeting also included a progress update on the work of the Community Safety Strategy Committee (CSSC), which replaced the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force.

The CSSC brings together expert insights and community perspectives. Members include:

• Lethbridge Police Service
• Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services
• Downtown business owners
• Centre for Public Safety & Applied Research (Lethbridge Polytechnic)

The CSSC oversees the new Community Safety Action Plan. The plan builds on the former Downtown Clean and Safe Strategy (DCSS). It shifts the DCSS from a downtown-specific focus to a holistic, city-wide initiative to address safety, wellbeing and social disorder. An updated strategy will be brought back to Council for approval in the coming months.

The CIC also received an update on the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF). This national program helps municipalities fund intervention and prevention initiatives for youth that address gun and gang violence. Local BSCF work has already shown strong results in a short time. It has helped reduce risk factors linked to justice involvement and strengthened prevention efforts in both community and school settings.

With federal funding set to end on March 31, 2026, City of Lethbridge staff will begin winding down the program. They’ll also work with community partners over the coming weeks to transition key elements so the progress made can continue.

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