In the weeks following the approval of the rezoning of the property at 7740 40 Avenue, the Red Deer Homeless Foundation has been busy putting together its latest application for City Council. We’ve also been actively engaging with local non-profits to build the momentum for Project Nexus and to strategize communally.
Now, The City of Red Deer has received the Development Permit application for Project Nexus, which means that our next steps include a Council Review scheduled for June 23, 2026. This follows the City Council’s rezoning of the property as a Direct Control District after a public hearing in Red Deer.
The Project Nexus campus is an initiative that brings together a wide spectrum of organizations serving Red Deer’s homeless population. While the campus will be managed by the Red Deer Homeless Foundation, the services are not spearheaded by any specific organization and will be a collaborative community management effort with the goal of supporting all of Red Deer’s at-risk population.
Highlights of the extended proposal:
- Project Nexus will be a social care campus
- Location at 7740 40 Avenue
- 200 emergency shelter beds
- Food shortage support
- Income support assistance
- Addiction counselling
- Clothing shortage support
- Access to housing support programmes
Next Steps for Project Nexus: Renovations & Partnerships
Following our hoped-for approval for development of this property, the next phase includes site improvements and building renovations to suit the scope of an all-inclusive social support campus. These upgrades are lighting, fencing, signage, surveillance, waste management and a cohesive courtyard.
The current application encompasses Phase One of our Project Nexus plan, as this is a phased project with multiple stages. Future development applications will be submitted as necessary, their contents depending upon the various people and groups involved. For example, an ideal setup includes primary and urgent medical care, employment assistance, housing navigation, Indigenous-led services, and the provision of food and clothing supplies.
The final structure of the campus will be shaped by the partnerships forged between Red Deer’s social support organizations and input from people with lived experience in the use of emergency shelters and related programmes.
Why Make These Changes to Red Deer’s Support Structure?
Currently, Red Deer has a number of excellent support services and organizations for various purposes, from grocery supplementation and clothing donations to Indigenous community centres and church-based outreach. That said, finding the right place at the right time can be difficult for the people who need support.
Furthermore, the onboarding process with many of these support systems begins with formal government ID – which is almost impossible to keep up to date when you’re moving from place to place and focusing on more pertinent issues like meals and housing.
That means someone may be turned away from official programs until they have proper identification – which must be obtained somewhere else in the city. And, the things necessary to make that application successful (a guarantor, birth certificate, registered mail, etc.) may or may not be somewhere else entirely.
Without the guidance of someone who understands the various parts of these systems, it’s very possible for people to fall through the cracks and end up unhoused, living hand to mouth. That’s why we want to combine our efforts in Red Deer into an all-encompassing campus, where the pressing needs of our fellow community members can be met simultaneously.
What Can You Do to Support the Development Application?
There will not be a public hearing held by City Council as regards this application, however, members of the community are encouraged to submit their formal comments to the Council until June 15th, 2026.
We have worked hard to consider the 1,200 pages of project feedback and more than 75 speakers at the public hearing process for the zoning decision in building our application. We feel that the plan is comprehensive, appropriate, and takes the needs of all stakeholders into consideration.
We welcome positive and constructive feedback as we build Project Nexus “For the Community, By the Community“. You can find more information on what type of public input the city is accepting on the application and submit your comments on The City of Red Deer’s website. The City has requested that all relevant input be sent directly through the digital form to ensure that all information is received and processed.
For regular updates and information on Project Nexus, follow the Red Deer Homelessness Foundation on LinkedIn.