A supportive housing program in Fort McMurray is on the verge of shutting down within the next six months if they can’t find funding from the municipality in the next six months.
Tawâw has supported the homeless Indigenous population since August. 2023. Most of their clients suffer from addictions alongside mental and emotional health issues, many of whom lived in the tent village which was swept last summer.
Jo-Anne Packham is the Executive Director of the Wood Buffalo Wellness Society, she joined CFWE to discuss the dangers of what would happen if Tawâw would close it’s doors, with nearly 160 people deemed ‘houseless’ on a waiting list.
Packham says a funding agreement with the RMWB cannot be honoured. She mentions WBWS had an agreement the municipality would cover half the costs of construction and renovations. When asked what the public can do to help, Packham says any concerned resident should talk with their local official.
Modelled after Ambrose Place housing in Edmonton, Tawâw puts a major focus on cultural based healing with their residents being Indigenous. Packham says Tawâw’s doors could be closed for good in the next six months if they don’t receive the funding.
Comments