End Homelessness Regina has announced their five-year plan to solve the homelessness crisis in the city.
The plan would cost a total of $63 Million over the next five years, $25 Million of which would go towards housing units being built in Regina.
Mayor Michael Fougere said city council will have a chance to review their role in this plan.
“The report does speak to the city primarily coordinating its existing efforts, it’s planning ways to streamline how we would approve and move projects forward,” Fougere said. “We have some funding that we do provide, and have done that for many units for homelessness, so we’ll continue to look at that as a resource.”
Social Services Minister Paul Merriman said the province will work to ensure this plan goes with what his ministry is already doing, adding there are Sask Housing units available for those that need them.
“The might be designated for seniors, but we’re looking at options, whether we can re-designate them to make sure that somebody has a place to call home, first of all, to get them stabilized,” Merriman said. “Then be able to start getting the services that they might need and whatever barriers that they’re facing to be able to help them out and get back to a place where they’re successful.”
Director for End Homelessness Regina Terin Kennedy said the goal of the program is to get a roof over people’s heads, then getting them the help they need.
“That’s why we talk about the housing first philosophy and how important it is to the plan,” Kennedy said. “We’re not looking for sobriety, we’re looking at get them in there and get these wraparound supports for them, and I think that’s number one, that’s important for us.”
The proposed measures are estimated to cost taxpayers $15 per person per day, compared to $364 per night in a hospital or $144 per night in jail.
