Council Adopts ‘Proactive’ Social Policy Framework

The City of Red Deer has a new blueprint to evaluate and address our community’s social needs.

The Social Policy Framework isn’t something municipalities typically draft for themselves. But, the City saw fit to do so following a series of provincial and federal downloads that have fallen into the their lap.

“What’s happened is that councils have been entering into more of a social mandate without necessarily having a road map of when would we say yes, when would we say no, when would we say not yet and when would be partner with our community to do that,” says Mayor Tara Veer.

She says shelter space is a prime example as Council prepares for another debate on where to set up a day time warming shelter for this winter.

Veer calls the framework a proactive response to a new normal they’re now forced to navigate through.

Some of the SPF’s objectives include community cohesion, equitable service and access, housing, poverty prevention and social and cultural diversity, just to name a few.

An update on framework implementation will come to Council early next year.

For more information, visit RedDeer.ca/SocialPolicyFramework.