Health and safety issues force closure of Amethyst House in Red Deer - Red Deer Advocate
Published 5:48 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2026Hope Mission’s downtown emergency shelter is housing several Amethyst House residents after the former motel that housed the permanent supportive housing program was. . .
Published 5:48 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2026Hope Mission’s downtown emergency shelter is housing several Amethyst House residents after the former motel that housed the permanent supportive housing program was shut down due to health and safety concerns. Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Central Alberta Region has operated the program at the Gaetz Avenue building, located at the bottom of the south hill, since January 2020. “As a precautionary measure, CMHA Central Alberta Region has temporarily relocated residents from our permanent supportive housing program at Amethyst House/ Pathways to Housing while we work closely with our provincial funding partners and community stakeholders to determine next steps,” said Courtney Ukrainetz, CMHA Central Alberta Region executive director, in a statement. “We are working collaboratively to ensure the safe relocation of all residents. We want to reassure the community that no resident will become unhoused as a result of this transition. ”Mayor Cindy Jefferies said losing housing for the 48 residents has created a crisis for the community, and residents probably won’t return to Amethyst House. “It’s concerning when we’re already short permanent, supportive housing units within our community. Just about every application for grant funding, that we have related to housing, has a permanent supportive housing portion in it,” Jefferies said. “The last thing we need to do is unhouse people. ”She said the lease CMHA had for the building was not going to be renewed, but it was set to expire at the end of the year so CMHA expected to have more time to figure everything out. She said some Amethyst House residents have much higher needs health needs than CMHA originally anticipated. City staff have been working with the province to find alternate housing, but it has been difficult. Some people have even been relocated outside of the community. The mayor said Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange has shared her concerns about the closure. But the provincial government made the decision based on health and safety concerns. The province provides $1. 36 million in operating funding annually to CMHA to deliver services, including Amethyst House. In a statement, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson said government worked closely with CMHA and other ministries to find suitable housing for residents, including at Hope Mission, hotels, and other local facilities, as appropriate. Local Recovery Alberta teams are engaged and providing support to all former residents of the Amethyst House building. “Mental Health and Addiction continues to work with ministry and community partners on longer-term solutions for people in need of supportive housing in Red Deer, including former Amethyst House residents as needed,” Wilson said. Brenton Driedger, with Hope Mission public relations, said the number fluctuates, but between 30 to 40 residents from Amethyst House are staying at Hope Mission. “This is the type of thing that emergency shelter is meant to be. It’s meant to be a temporary safety net,” said Driedger. He said extra beds have been set up and dividers are being added to create semi-private, dignified spaces for people. Extra meals have been brought in to handle the increase. On Monday night, 202 beds were filled at Hope Mission, which had averaged 136 clients per night during first three months after taking over the operation of the shelter on April 1. He said frequent rain in recent weeks, and now wildfire smoke, could have played a role in more people accessing the shelter. But the shelter can handle the influx. “It’s always a concern to see the numbers go that high. It speaks to the need that we have in Red Deer and the importance of having a place where they can go. ”