Community standards and neighbourhoods problem property solution: A coordinated solution for addressing problem properties

The problem

Problem properties are a significant drain on municipal resources, and compromise the safety and vibrancy of Edmonton neighbourhoods. Complex and multifaceted, these locations present a substantial challenge to the agencies assigned to mitigate the harm they cause their surrounding areas.

The solution

The solution provides a coordinated approach to addressing problem properties, enabling efficient interventions by partners and reducing the strain on municipal resources. The project prioritizes problem properties, tracks interventions and outcomes, and introduces an early warning system for focused deterrence based on demand thresholds. This solution was built using open source tools within existing budget.

The impact

The solution moved the program toward a model that weighs risk and prioritizes interventions based on historic call-for-service demand rather than subjective metrics. By aggregating demand data from partners—including Community Standards, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, Development Compliance and Safety Codes—the solution created a unified heat map of demand to guide deployment.

Lessons learned

A primary hurdle was the inability to secure address-specific police and health demand data due to their internal data management and privacy policies. This necessitated the pivot to aggregating demand within a geographic "grid" rather than at specific addresses.

Launch year: 2021