REGINA – It’s another day on Regina streets for Calvin, who says he’s been homeless for several years.
He’s already thinking ahead to where he’ll stay tonight.
“Sleep in a garage or something, somewhere you can stay warm.”
That search is the same for Joanne. She has another reason for finding a home.
“(My children) say, ‘You sober up, stay off the street, you’ll see your grandchildren.’ ”
Tony holds a sign asking for help. If he could find a permanent home?
“I’d be able to find a job. Right now I can’t go to work because I don’t have a stable place.”
Those are only three homeless Reginans, but a report comissioned by Carmichael Outreach says there are thousands more just like them.
Only 15 per cent of Carmichael clients are able to find and maintain a home.
“You get somebody in a place, and it’s a two or three month cycle,” said Tyler Gray, Carmichael’s housing support coordinator. “Usually the same people are coming back through the door.”
The report highlights the need for Housing First, a preventative strategy that provides a place to live while still offering supports for addictions and mental health.
In other cities, Housing First has saved $9,390 per client, per year. They key is avoiding crisis response.
“The cost of incarceration, hospitals, police services are very expensive, acute responses to dealing with people,” said Hirsch Greenberg, who works on the University of Regina Community Research Unit.
Success rate in other cities is roughly 90 per cent – the problem is cost.
Housing First requires millions of dollars in up-front investment and government grants.
The program is on the City of Regina’s radar, but the mayor says it can’t be done alone.
“One order of government can’t deal with (all) mental health and (physical) health issues,” said Michael Fougere. “They’re federal and provincial in scope, so we’d look at it as a partnership, not a lead agency.”
Until such an agreement, lack of shelter will remain a cold reality for Regina’s homeless population.
“I’m a street guy,” Calvin said, pondering his future. “Gotta go day by day.”
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