Correction: This story has been updated due to the fact that Global News could not verify Morley Redwood’s military service claim.
On Monday morning, some now former residents of Camp Hope were eagerly waiting to see their new temporary home — a 40-bed indoor emergency shelter operated by Regina Treaty Status Indian Services (RTSIS) and funded by the City of Regina.
The city is temporarily leasing the facility for a period of six months. The lease has been valued at around $16,000 per month by city officials.
The exact location will be kept on a “need to know” basis in order to protect the privacy of those utilizing the emergency shelter. The only information that has been revealed to the public is that the shelter is on Hamilton Street in the Warehouse District.
Former camp organizers facilitating the transition said those who are elderly, disabled, pregnant, or have any medical issues were prioritized for the move, although as of early Monday afternoon, there were still some spots at the shelter available. The centre is also open to others who may not be from the camp.
Some waiting in line for a city bus to shuttle them from the former camp site to the shelter said they were looking forward to heading indoors, even more so with the arrival with winter elements.
“I just need a place to stay, just for the time being. This has really helped me out, because other than that I don’t know what I would do,” said Morley Redwood, former Camp Hope resident.
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Redwood said he ended up at the camp Friday after falling victim to a rental scam, which had him send rent money through an e-transfer.
Redwood says he suffers from PTSD, social anxiety and regular nightmares, but is glad he was able to find a sense of home at the camp.
“I talked to one guy last night, he’s a volunteer, he stays the nights, super nice guy and that’s what made me feel comfortable, is the way that I was treated,” Redwood explained.
He mentions one thing he greatly appreciated about those working at the site is that they did not judge and were quite compassionate to the multitude of struggles people are facing, ranging from housing insecurity and substance abuse to mental health issues and food scarcity.
Redwood also said he’s planning on his stay at the shelter only being for a short period of time, until he can get more money to live elsewhere and have the ability to pay rent.
He adds he hopes the kind of meticulous care he and others experienced at the camp will continue at the new shelter, especially when it comes to saving lives in relation to overdoses.
“What are they going to do when they overdose? Here, someone comes running, someone saves your life. Is that going to happen over there?” asked Ryan MacMullen, former Camp Hope volunteer.
“Safe consumption..that’s pretty much the concern,” MacMullen said.
He goes on to say he’s glad individuals will have somewhere to stay indoors with food, and bedding, adding he’s just genuinely concerned about people overdosing and dying in case they do not get the immediate medical attention they need.
Former camp organizers said they have been trying to build trust among residents, especially since they will not be a part of the operations at the shelter and will be taking a step back from that since RTSIS will be in charge of the facility.
Many of the organizers and volunteers will now be pivoting their focus back to the Regina Needle Recovery & Community Support program.
“We’re just trying to facilitate that transfer of trust to the best of our ability, so that people aren’t afraid of the space or hearing things that may not be accurate,” said Alysia Johnson, former Camp Hope organizer.
Some who previously stayed at the camp are choosing not to go to the shelter while others are feeling hesitant about the move.
“Some the unknowns are really terrifying for them. Change is hard and when you become accustomed to having community, it can be really hard to step outside of that and not really know if you’re going to maintain that community in a different setting,” Johnson said.
Former residents choosing not to go to the shelter can stay a hotel, an accommodation being set up by social services, but that’s only for two days.
“I guess our hope would be that their stay is extended beyond two days, because certainly in two days, there wouldn’t be enough time to have folks going into the new space properly,” Johnson explained.
After that, individuals will have to figure out what to do next. There are a few other shelters in the city, however, recently they have been filling up very quickly.
Although, the new centre offers 40 beds, on some days the camp has seen over 100 people come by for help.
Some individuals facing homelessness said they prefer to stay on the streets at times and away from shelters, due to negative experiences.
Johnson adds, she feels the camp has helped shed a much needed light on the urgent issue of homelessness the city is grappling with, especially when changes were previously made to the Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) program at the end of August.
However, on Friday, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Social Services announced it would be reversing some of those changes, in particular, giving high-needs clients the option of having their rent or utilities bills directly paid to landlords or providers.
“I would just say that we went through it as a city last year and nobody was paying attention,” she said.
“So, this isn’t really anything new in our community, it’s just that there’s more awareness now. Hopefully this is an opportunity to have those discussions and to keep an accurate account of who is actually sleeping outside at any given time.”
In terms of the emergency centre, according to RTSIS, people staying there will not be able to use drugs or alcohol in the facility.
When people go into the facility, and a search shows they have drugs or alcohol, the items will be stored securely. If they do not want their bags searched, the bags themselves will be securely stored.
Each individual will have their own cubicle with a bed and curtains to separate them from others to provide privacy.
The city says the shelter meets all fire and life safety requirements.
As residents were being moved around, city workers dismantled the fence surrounding the camp site and any remaining garbage or debris from the site was cleaned up.
Those who managed and helped maintain the camp say they were told by city officials that from Monday evening and onwards, officers would begin addressing bylaws they had been previously ignoring.
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