Indigenous-led housing for Fort McMurray’s homeless opening at former Bridgeport Inn – Fort Mcmurray Today

Aug 03, 2023

An Indigenous-led housing facility is opening at the former Bridgeport Inn on Biggs Avenue to address homelessness in the community. The centre is based on similar housing programs operated by Niginan Housing Ventures, in Edmonton and is supported by Alberta Health Services (AHS).

Tawâw—pronounced ta-WOW and Cree for “come in, you’re welcome, there is room for you here”—focuses on people who are Indigenous and chronically homeless. This includes people living on the streets for long periods of time, are taking spots in the hospital, have mobility issues or complicated medical concerns.

“We know that it is much more of a cost savings to house and care for people than to rely on much more expensive facilities like hospitals or other institutions for housing,” said Jo-Anne Packham, executive director of the Wood Buffalo Wellness Society, in an interview.

Read More: https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/tawaw-indigenous-housing-fort-mcmurray