NDP says emergency shelter funding was needed in Saskatchewan before snow flew

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling the provincial government’s announcement of $1.7 million in additional funding for emergency shelters “too little, too late.”

The Tuesday funding announcement comes after a body was found in Saskatoon that some are assuming was a freezing death.

“Obviously, this is a tragedy,” said NDP Social Services Critic Meara Conway.

Conway said this is a problem many people saw coming. The NDP caucus heard about it firsthand during a visit to Prince Albert in October from its city council.

“They were sounding the alarm on this,” Conway said.

Neither Conway nor Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said they knew the circumstances of the death. Makowsky said it is being investigated.

Conway called it “quite distressing” and “disturbing” that the government would make an announcement around shelter funding following such a bleak milestone.

“This is an issue that they knew was coming. This was an issue they should have foreseen,” Conway emphasized, adding the need for a cold-weather strategy has been brought to the Saskatchewan Party’s attention many times before.

The funding announced is earmarked to up the number of emergency shelter spaces in Saskatchewan by up to 15 per cent this winter. It’s also meant to ease winter costs that community organizations are facing heading into the new season.

Makowsky said the province has 388 permanent shelter spaces heading into this winter.

The work being done hopes to contribute towards stabilizing the homeless situation in Saskatchewan, through a process that has taken many years of work.

The announcement shows one part of the housing continuum, Makowsky said. Individuals begin by seeking a place to stay at emergency shelters and hotels to hold overflow from those shelters before being moved into more permanent housing options.

The Ministry of Social Services is giving $800,000 to community partners and $900,000 to add up to 60 emergency shelter spaces in Saskatchewan’s three major centres — Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

Makowsky said he sees most of those shelters being distributed between Prince Albert and Regina — about 25 for each city — with about 10 being added in Saskatoon, but said those numbers will be determined by community organizations the government has partnered with.

The minister offered his condolences to the loved ones of the individual who recently died as a result of the unseasonably cold temperatures.

Makowsky noted 11 communities in Saskatchewan have emergency shelters. These communities will reach receive some of the new funding. In smaller centres that don’t have an emergency shelter, the government will provide hotel rooms for people with immediate need for a place to stay, Makowsky said.

“We’ll keep working and trying, getting more folks into those places,” he said.

He added he understands some people are hesitant to deal directly with a government agency. That’s why the government has partnered with Indigenous-led organizations like the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services that have had success with helping people secure temporary and more permanent housing.

“We know the spaces out there and we’ll offer them the funding in terms of the money we’re using to stabilize existing providers in those areas,” Makowsky said.

He noted payments to emergency shelters will be done similarly to how funding during the COVID-19 pandemic was distributed.

Makowsky said the government is always working alongside community-based organizations in various ways, like giving Saskatchewan Housing units to providers.

Calling the government the largest landlord in the province, Makowsky said it is important that the government acknowledges how much sway it has in the market and works to offer affordable rents for appropriate housing unit options.

“We’re always trying to look at where the rent should be.” Makowsky said.

He also said the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation is always working to find ways to make housing available and more accessible for people who need it.

Conway said there’s no question that resources are needed to address homelessness, especially at this time of the year in Saskatchewan, but she cannot salute an announcement made regarding circumstances that may have led to someone’s death.

She said Saskatchewan has already seen two winter storms this year and the early freezing temperatures are not an excuse for tardy government action.

The NDP critic added the SIS program has “absolutely intensified these issues beyond anything anyone thought was imaginable,” and is working against community services trying hard to “stem this tide of suffering.”

Makowsky said emergency shelters are available in communities across the province and where there aren’t any, or an emergency shelter is full, residents will be connected to a hotel or alternative option for shelter against the winter elements.

There are more than 25 community partners in Saskatoon working to keep people safe this winter, according to a news release from the province. The Saskatoon Extreme Cold Weather Emergency Response Plan brings partners together to identify pressures in meeting demands and helping make sure people can receive emergency services 24 hours a day.

People who need help can turn to shelters like the Salvation Army and the YWCA or visit the Ministry of Social Services office in their area. Any person who sees someone in need should call 911.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie