The City of Regina is taking another step to end homelessness in the City.

Regina city council approved a motion to support funding for a plan that is calling for the inclusion of $5.5 million per year in targeted funding for a housing-first supportive model in the City.

The motion, brought forward by Councillors Dan LeBlanc and Andrew Stevens, was approved at Wednesday’s council meeting and saw 15 delegates present to council.

“We saw a huge swell of support from community members,” LeBlanc said. “Some of whom have been working on these issues since before I was born, and some of them are new to it and became activated since Camp Hope. We saw a big amount of community support for people who prioritizes this for both fiscal and humanitarian reasons.”

Mayor Sandra Masters said that this puts a financial figure on what it would cost the City to end homelessness.

“This is going to say, here is the cost to eliminate it. I think there is an opportunity for the partnership of both the provincial and federal government, and it will be good to kind of put a number around it and figure out what programming we can fund into the coming years.”

Masters said that they already have initiatives that are working to reduce homelessness, and this will expand them.

“We are already doing this work. I think we will continue to expand, and I think the coordinated access to services cannot be understated enough of how important that is,” she stated. “There are folks that are falling through the cracks, falling short of accessing the systems and services that are available to them and there on our streets, and they need help.”

The next step for the motion will be when it’s discussed at council in December when council members will be able to debate the 2023 draft budget.