Some local leaders are worried impacts of the provincial government's belt-tightening measures could trickle down to the most marginalized people in St. Albert.
During Tuesday’s question period in the Alberta Legislature, St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud asked Minister of Community and Social Services Rajan Sawhney whether the government is considering slashing funding in half to the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program.
Renaud said the minister had previously failed to dispel rumours provincial FCSS dollars could be slashed by up to 50 per cent and asked her if the government was actually considering that.
Sawhney responded saying the Alberta government values the “important role” of FCSS.
“We are working really diligently at this time to review all the programs within the ministry and services to ensure we are supporting the most vulnerable and those who are in most need,” she said.
Sawhney added a strong economy and balanced budget would help ensure programs like FCSS can “remain successful and sustainable in the long term.”
FCSS is an 80-20 partnership between the government and participating communities, whereby municipalities are responsible for administering funds to local organizations that provide preventative services.
Local organizations such as the Food Bank, Stop Abuse in Families and the Family Resource Centre are all funded by FCSS dollars.
Renaud said in an interview it is worrisome to think of how the government will assess who is most in need, and these are services that are truly about prevention.
“It’s really worrisome,” she said. “Either (the organizations) would have to stop, reduce or you know find the funds from somewhere elsewhere. That’s likely an additional tax burden.”
Premier Jason Kenney ran on a platform promising to balance the books by 2022-23, and since then has mandated a blue-ribbon panel to assess the state of Alberta’s finances and make recommendations accordingly. He has indicated stringent measures will be put in place through the UCP's first budget, set to come out Oct. 24.
St. Albert Coun. Jacquie Hansen posed Sawhney the same question during the annual Alberta Urban Municipalities Conference (AUMA) at the end of September. She told the Gazette city staff have been hearing the UCP’s first budget in government could include cuts to FCSS anywhere from 10 to 50 per cent.
“For us, even if it were a 30-per-cent decrease in funding for FCSS, that would seriously impact us as a municipality, just in terms of supporting the organizations that use this funding,” Hansen said.
She added the organizations really comprise the Maslow’s hierarchy of need in St. Albert, and they play a key role in building community.
“We give them that money and then they build community,” Hansen said. “We start to lose that funding, we are really impacting people on the ground, people who need food, people who need shelter, people who are trying to flee domestic violence.”
The response from Sawhney “didn’t sound at all hopeful,” Hansen added, although it sounds like the minister herself is doing everything she can to maintain funding levels.
Municipalities understand the need for belt-tightening and getting debt reined in, but Hansen said she hopes the government will be “very thoughtful” about which programs and services it cuts.
“To me, FCSS funding is really a basic need in communities and it allows organizations on the ground to provide services that meet the needs and gaps in every single community,” she said. “It’s sort of a made in community program so it really would be a shame to have that cut.”
