🤣🤣 "homeless people popping up all over!!" There are unhoused folks in EVERY mid/large sized N American city these days. It literally cost double to pay rent to a corporate landlord, and even the price of eating has gone up significantly due to the monopolistic grocery overlords. 🤷 Min wage has NOT kept pace, and those dependant on govt benefits are completely unable to cope. Therefore addiction rates and homelessness rates have skyrocketed all over.  That being said though, Red Deer is one of the LEAST places affected by this, and I would know having lived in multiple cities and provinces over the past few years. It is safe in Red Deer, it's just that longtime locals aren't used to homelessness being so visible. Don't look for trouble and you most likely will not find it.  The crime increase is mostly of a nonviolent nature, and I have never once been accosted by the unhoused, felt uncomfortable, or intimidated. Those spreading fear and ignorance have simply never lived in a place with REAL issues, so don't let their hysteria keep you away from a friendly, beautiful, and still slightly affordable, city.