Encampment - City of Edmonton
Since opening in January 2024, Edmonton’s Navigation and Support Centre has been a one-stop shop for critical services for vulnerable Albertans.
The centre offers a wide variety of wraparound supports and service providers under one roof.
Services include:
- transportation to and from the centre
- access to financial benefits
- onsite and same day Alberta identification
- help finding shelter including food, showers and clothing
- connection and referrals to housing supports
- locked storage for belongings
- support for those with pets
- medical support and connections to the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) for same-day access to addiction medical specialists and life-saving treatment anywhere in the province
- connections to other mental health and addiction services and supports provided by Recovery Alberta
- access to Indigenous cultural supports
According to the Alberta government, the centre has helped more than 7,780 unique individuals and made more than 33,700 connections to critical supports and services since it opened, and is now moving into a larger facility that allows staff and service providers to better assist clients.
The centre will continue to be operated by Hope Mission and is moving from the Karis Centre building to the Bissell Centre West, which is located close to emergency shelters and other supports.
The new location also offers additional space, which will provide individuals more privacy as they receive support from service providers at the centre.
“By bringing critical supports and services under one roof, the Navigation and Support Centres have become vital hubs for those experiencing homelessness. Moving Edmonton’s Navigation and Support Centre into a bigger space will allow the centre’s dedicated front-line staff to help even more people access the supports they need,” said Jason Nixon, Alberta Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services.
Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is investing $220 million into combatting homelessness, supporting thousands of shelter spaces across the province which include more than 2,000 shelter spaces, including 150 Indigenous-led spaces and more than 250 women-only spaces.
Daily capacity and utilization of homeless shelter spaces funded by the province are available online and updated daily.
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