Red Deer shelter resident describes harassment, hopes for Project Nexus
A Red Deer woman living at the Hope Mission emergency shelter describes being targeted with thrown objects and verbal abuse while sharing her path through homelessness and substance use.
Why it matters
The account highlights ongoing challenges facing Red Deer's homeless population as the city plans its new Project Nexus shelter campus for 2027.
Shayna Daniels, a single mother in her mid-30s, has stayed at Red Deer's Hope Mission-run emergency shelter since at least April 1, after becoming unhoused roughly two years ago following a breakup. She says she and other shelter users have had rocks, beer bottles and spit thrown at them by passersby, along with being photographed and verbally insulted.
Daniels described losing shared custody of her son and said she is working to overcome alcohol use. She said two close friends recently died of fentanyl overdoses, an experience she called emotionally difficult, noting she has previously administered naloxone to people overdosing.
Daniels said long wait times for services make it hard for people experiencing homelessness to stay motivated to seek help. She has attended Red Deer city council meetings on homeless encampments and said she follows news about Project Nexus, a planned social care and emergency shelter campus on the city's north end whose first phase, a Hope Mission-operated shelter, is expected to open in 2027.
She said her main concern is ensuring people who use the new shelter can safely access the wrap-around services planned for the site, rather than having to travel elsewhere for them. If services end up spread across multiple locations, she suggested a shuttle could help people get around.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.