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A total of 45 new emergency shelter spaces are coming to Prince Albert’s YWCA.
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing $830,000 to create the new spaces, which will be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In a release, the government said the spaces will also provide clients with three meals a day, case planning services and “access to wrap-around supports to address wellness and cultural needs, with assistance in connecting to services such as financial supports and help to transition to appropriate housing along the housing continuum.”
The YWCA Prince Albert — which provides shelter, housing and assistance to marginalized communities in the region — is set to open its new Stepping Stones Emergency Shelter on the city’s Exhibition Grounds on Nov. 1, though a permanent location has yet to be determined.
Donna Brooks, the CEO of YWCA Prince Albert, said the provincial government’s commitment “opens a new chapter in how we can better serve our homeless population.”
Brooks said the new funding will “substantially increase” the number of people the organization can help during the coming winter.
“Meanwhile, our quest to find a permanent location for Stepping Stones is ongoing, with a goal of having an appropriate site identified before the new year,” Brooks said in a statement.
The funding comes as part of the provincial government’s strategy to address homelessness across Saskatchewan. That strategy includes a $40.2-million investment over two years to create 155 new supportive housing spaces, 120 permanent emergency shelter spaces, and 30 new emergency shelter spaces for those with complex needs, which are typically serious issues around addictions or mental health.
“The Ministry of Social Services supports vulnerable people in need of shelter by connecting them with community organizations that offer emergency shelter spaces,” Gene Makowsky, Saskatchewan’s minister of social services, said in a statement.
“Along with community partners, we are working to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and better support individuals who need more than a home to remain connected to housing.”