REGINA — Every year, Regina residents receive taxes, benefits, and related programs through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Under the CRA, everyone is required to have proof of address. However, for Regina’s homeless population, this creates a challenge.
That’s where organizations like the Queen City Wellness Pharmacy step in.
“We’ve been letting people use our address as a safe place for them to get their mail,” said Soolee Ironchild, Queen City Wellness Pharmacy’s kokum.
Ironchild said the group has worked with representatives from the CRA for the past few years to allow an unlimited number of homeless people to use their address for mailing.
“[We] have over a hundred people using our mailing system right now.”
One homeless person who chose to remain anonymous said this year will be the first time they’ve done their taxes since 2001.
“The pharmacy helps send my banking statements and water bills to the CRA.”
Ironchild said representatives from the CRA come to help homeless people do their taxes free of charge in February and March.
The person mentioned they live on social assistance, which offers them roughly $17,000 yearly.
By having their taxes done, the person believes they could be entitled to hundreds of dollars.
“It will help me be able to save and buy more food.”
For those most vulnerable, Ironchild stressed the importance of getting hundreds or thousands in taxes.
“People get really frustrated, especially knowing that you’re starving and homeless and you got all that money sitting in an account.”
Before the pharmacy started collecting mail, Ironchild noted homeless people would use abandoned houses as their address.
“These houses would eventually disappear, and the mail would get sent back, causing chaos for their CRA account.”
The pharmacy also helps people obtain an ID through collaboration with eHealth Saskatchewan.
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