At Carmichael Outreach, an unprecedented number of vulnerable people are turning to tents as a temporary homes.
“People have nowhere to go at night and this is the best we can do for them at the time with the lack of shelter space in the city and affordable renting,” Carmichael Outreach Executive Director Cora Gajari said.
In only two days, six people received tents from Carmichael – but the calls are still coming. The group is now asking for donations of tents and other camping supplies as resources dwindle.
Experts say it’s the grim reality of stretched services across the city and a high cost of living.
“One individual gets $459 a month for housing and it’s impossible to find a place like that,” Regina Homelessness Director of HPS Communications Blair Roberts said. “Now, without the the Rental Supplement it’s just sort of compounded that problem – unless you’re lucky enough to fall into a program like Housing First.”
He’s not surprised to hear the plea for tents.
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“There’s a lot of organizations doing incredible work to house people in Regina, but the reality is there’s just not enough resources in the city to house everyone right now,” Roberts explained. “You can hide tents in the bushes, you can put them in the alleys, they’re not always going to be seen. We need to do a better job supporting those people.”
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The Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement stopped taking new applicants in July as part of the province’s 2018-19 budget. It provided benefits to help low-to-moderate income families with children under the age of 18 to access affordable rental housing. It could also provide benefits for those with cognitive or physical disabilities who need supports in their household.
Benefits ranged from $61 to $364 per month.
Carmichael says it’s now in talks with the Ministry of Social Services to address the problem, but in the meantime, they don’t know where to send people with tents. As a last resort, one vulnerable young woman was set up at the Justice for Our Stolen Children Camp Thursday night.
“That is a one-off,” Gajari added. “We do not recommend that people do that. They have their own protocols and their own mandate. We don’t want to infringe on that.”
Still, the group is asking for as many tents as they can get.
“We don’t want to expose people. They’re very vulnerable to harassment, assault- even their dignity. Especially their dignity,” Gajari said.
A city-wide plan to end homelessness is expected to be released in the early fall.
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