The City of Regina’s administration has put a price on what it would take to end homelessness.
The city said in a report that the city would have to increase taxes by 21.73 per cent in 2023 and by 4.24 per cent tax rate in 2024.
The increase would result in $487.08 annually in 2023 and $142.80 in 2024 for the average homeowner.
The most recent point-in-count (PiT count) conducted in September 2021 identified 488 people as experiencing homelessness.
To provide 488 units of housing costs upwards of $50,000 per person annually for a total of $24.4 million.
To acquire, renovate, or build new units, the city estimates it could cost a minimum of $200,000 for each unit, but the cost could increase to $600,000 due to the stress placed on units, unit turnover, and higher construction costs. That puts the total cost between $97.6 and $292.8 million.
In addition to the housing and building costs, the city said it would also have to fund staff that includes a manager, a coordinator, and three support staff positions, costing the city an additional $500,000.
In total, between the three, it could cost the city $122.5 million to create supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness in the city.
The city noted that PiT Counts could not fully enumerate everyone in a community who experiences homelessness. Some experts have estimated that PiT Counts can only identify about one-third of the homeless population in a given community, suggesting that there could be upwards of 1464 people.
The city currently spends $7.9 million annually on programs meant to address homelessness and social development.
