Supportive housing spaces, emergency shelter spaces, enhanced community safety and outreach responses, and complex needs emergency shelter spaces have been announced by the Saskatchewan government as part of what it calls a “new provincial approach to homelessness.”
Some $40.2 million has been allocated over the next two years to create these targeted supports, with the province saying this is an integrated approach from the Ministries of Social Services, Health, and Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
“Together, and with community partners, we will work to improve the lives of Saskatchewan people who are struggling with addictions and mental health challenges to support their transition to stable and supportive housing,” said Gene Makowsky, social services minister.
Makowsky added that the province plans to move to a model of smaller emergency shelters to avoid having a concentration of vulnerable people in one area.
The province gave a list of supports across Saskatchewan:
- 155 new supportive housing spaces
- 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces
- 30 new complex needs emergency shelter spaces
Some $7.16 million is going towards Regina and Saskatoon to create the supportive housing spaces. The province said these spaces provide on-site and visiting support as well as connection to wrap-around services.
Out of the new supportive housing spaces, the government said some will be converted from units owned by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation.
“With an investment of $665,000 this fiscal year and up to $4 million in 2024-25 for operations we can ensure access to effective mental health and addictions services and programs in the supportive housing units,” said Tim McLeod, mental health and addictions minister.
Another $14.1 million will go to create emergency shelter spaces in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, as well as other communities based on need.
The province said there will be roughly 500 permanent emergency shelter spaces available across the province this winter.
Community safety and outreach responses are receiving $19 million, which the province says will fund two complex needs emergency shelters in Regina and Saskatoon that will give a secure and medically supervised space for people to go to for up to 24 hours if they are intoxicated and could potentially be a danger to themselves or the public.
“Public safety is a critical part of addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness and mental health and addictions issues,” said Paul Merriman, corrections, policing and public safety minister.
“By working together across government and within communities, we will build supports that protect our communities and help people overcome the challenges they may be facing.”
The province added that it will be working with municipalities to mitigate community safety issues around emergency shelters and will work to expand homelessness outreach services.
A partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council was also announced, noting the organization will provide supportive housing services at 55 housing units at the Kotawan property in Saskatoon.
More investments were made in the addictions treatment realm as well, as the province said it will create 500 new addictions treatment spaces and an intake system that will make accessibility and response easier.
The new action plan includes an investment of $49.4 million by the fifth year of the plan, focusing on building capacity for treatment, improving the system itself and transitioning to a recovery-based system of care.
“To build capacity for addictions treatment, we are setting a new target of adding at least 500 addictions treatment spaces in communities across the province over the next five years,” McLeod said.
“With new announcements coming in the weeks and months ahead, we are on track to exceed our original target of adding 150 addictions treatment spaces. New funding in the action plan will further accelerate this work for a new near-term target of 200 spaces by the end of this fiscal year.”
The province said spaces will be seen across the province and will include detox and pre-treatment, inpatient and outpatient treatment, post-treatment and supportive living spaces.
It added that this plan replaces the previous mental health and addictions action plan that was set to finish by the end of the year.
Health Minister Everett Hindley said the province will be working closely with municipal governments.
“We want to make sure that this works for everybody, that this works for the individuals who need that help, but also for the community as well,” Hindley said.
He also addressed staffing for these spaces, saying they have an aggressive health human resources action plan, but are also building capacity within the system and creating more post-secondary education training seats, some of which include mental health and addictions counsellors.
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark weighed in on the announcement, saying he’s been calling for a co-ordinated approach to dealing with mental health, addictions and homelessness for several years now.
“Winter is coming, it’s getting cold out there. People are very concerned about what is going to happen,” Clark said.
He said municipalities will be working with the province to identify locations where some of these services could be located.
“We need to do that as quickly as we can so people don’t freeze to death out there.”
Clark recognized that this wasn’t everything that the city has been calling for, adding that he’ll still continue to advocate for additional improvements so that people don’t run into as many barriers when they try to get housing.
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said she was hopeful that this was building something that would have real positive outcomes for people who are suffering.
“Everyone is struggling with how to deal with the opioid drug crisis, and the psychosis, and the violence and the death that is resulting from it,” Masters said.
Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) Chief Mark Arcand weighed in on the announcement, saying STC was open to expanding their properties to help people with homelessness and addictions, but has not made any commitments yet.
“We believe at STC, we have the tools in the toolbox to actually help people,” Arcand said.
He said the 55 housing units at the Kotawan property creates a different opportunity from the Emergency Wellness Centre, another STC building aimed at helping people get back on their feet.
Arcand said the investment from the province to deal with people living with complex needs likely won’t be enough, but it’s a good start.
“They’re talking about keeping people off the streets this winter, perfect. How do we keep supporting that?”
He added that he wants to work with whoever gets these newly announced facilities, saying they need to be speaking the same language and finding ways to communicate and cooperate.