ONGOING RECOVERY | MEETING BASIC NEEDS

• • Meeting Basic Needs
  • Tri-Council Collaboration
  • Stakeholders in Recovery
• • Committed Funding
  • Progress Report

Of all post-crisis initiatives to date, the temporary housing project has been the largest by far. Initially, the Alberta Government advised that they would only be providing temporary homes for about 100 essential service workers such as ATCO, Alberta Health, RCMP and municipal employees. At the continued urging of Town and MD Councils, however, government officials were swayed provide housing for all those who were displaced by the fire.

MD staff worked closely with Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs to set up temporary trailers on municipal properties. For the Town of Slave Lake, temporary housing was set up in two large trailer parks in Town, again with the assistance of Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs in concert with Alberta Infrastructure. Nearing the end of November 2011, only a handful of residents were waiting to occupy a temporary residence.

Of the 730 families that lost their homes in the region, approximately 200 required a temporary trailer – a project that could cost upwards of $47 million. The remainder either found alternate accommodations or moved out of the area. At this point it has been difficult to establish how many families have left. One positive sign is that enrolment at local schools this fall was higher than anticipated.