SUMA’s  city mayors are asking the province to address problems with the Saskatchewan Income Support Program (SIS) and social housing.

Gerald Aalbers, mayor of Lloydminster and chair of the city mayors caucus, said in a media release that “The barriers put in place for accessing services, the rates that remain far below the cost of living, and the evictions that occur because the province no longer pays landlords directly, are responsible for ever-increasing numbers of people on our streets.”

The mayors met recently in Melville. They say a lack of social housing, and particularly supportive housing for those with mental health and addictions issues, is also feeding the homelessness crisis.

They say there are also additional costs for policing that occur when people are kept in poverty and people with mental health issues are living on the streets.