The province will kick an additional $16 million into combating homelessness in Alberta.

Premier Ralph Klein announced the new funding during the Calgary Homeless Foundation's eighth annual premier's roast.

Shelter beds in Edmonton's Herb Jamieson Centre.
(CBC News)

The roast Tuesday was an opportunity for comedians and politicians to poke fun at the outgoing premier.

"Can't get your premier to leave office? Stop cooking with cheese," quipped comedian Bob Robertson.

But Klein ended the evening on a serious note and announced the new funding. The money will be spent over the next two years to help the homeless, he said.

"The struggles of the homeless and the working poor in places like Calgary and Fort McMurray is unfortunately more of a challenge today then ever," he said.

"It's a great concern to see that half of Calgarians that are homeless right now have a job, but are simply not making enough money to afford appropriate accommodation."

More homeless in Edmonton

A count of Edmonton's homeless population released by the city Wednesday shows 2,600 people don't have a place to live, a 20 per cent increase from two years ago.

Jay Freeman, one of the organizers of the count, said homelessness is no longer confined to Edmonton's inner city.

"In terms of the actual numbers at specific locations, I can't speak to that, but certainly it's accurate to say that the homeless issue is throughout the city," he said.

On Tuesday, the province announced $800,000 to help cover the cost of emergency winter shelters in Edmonton.