REGINA — The City of Regina is laying out its role in homelessness and community well-being.
On Wednesday, the executive committee discussed a report where the city is planning to use $1.655 million in savings found from the dissolution of Community and Social Impact Regina Inc. for several items, including:
- Engagement & administration co-ordinator ($100,000) — One full-time staff member.
- Data, evaluation, research advisor ($140,000) — One full-time staff member.
- Community engagement ($85,000) — This includes honourariums and meeting expenses.
- Social development funding ($500,000) — Continuing work as part of the Community & Safety Well-being plan (CSWB). These include facilitation of well-being tables to increase coordination among service providers, and fund and administer community investment grants in social development.
- Contribution to reaching home community entity ($30,000) — The city plans to partner with Namerind Housing Corporation on this.
- Street and encampment outreach initiative ($800,000) — This includes supporting the Regina Street Team (RST), who would either be transitioned into a non-profit group or as part of the city as part of approval of the motion.
Administration has also recommended the council direct $820,000 from the 2026 budget (which will be finalized in December) towards:
- Homeless co-ordinator ($120,000) — One full-time staff member.
- Warming centre funding ($500,000) — Expanding existing warming centre hours and potential for new ones.
- Heritage Community Association peer-led initiative ($200,000) — This project was first passed in spring 2025 and received $300,000 from the Government of Canada to kick off the project. It plans to break down barriers for homeless people seeking work.
Regina has seen a spike in homeless people. In 2024, a point-in-time (PIT) count revealed the city has 824 homeless people, an increase from 232 homeless people in 2015.
Many of those unhoused don’t have anywhere to turn as shelters continue to be at or over-capacity.
YWCA Regina CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen said even by opening up more shelter spaces, they would still be backlogged.
“Our shelter system is backlogged because our housing system is backlogged.”
“Getting rid of those backlogs takes massive system changes,” added Coomber-Bendtsen.
The lack of available spaces for those most vulnerable has led to several big encampment sites popping up in the city over the past few years.
Currently, Regina has no designated encampment site. However, back in August, council passed a motion, directing administration to enhance its encampment response.
The new response includes the creation of the Community Action Response to Encampments (CARE) team, which includes members of the city, Regina Street Team, Ministry of Social Services, Saskatchewan Healthy Authority, Regina Fire & Protective Services, Co-ordinated Access Regina, and an Indigenous Community Member.
If an encampment site is deemed at high-risk by CARE, the team would support homeless people in co-ordinating responses and resident management of belongings.
In situations of high risk, the CARE team could enforce city bylaws and continue to support homeless people until secured housing has been found.
Homeless activist Mandla Mthembu said this plan doesn’t ensure additional housing will be available.
“If you don’t have infrastructure for people to go to and safe spaces for people to go to, then we’re still forcibly removing people with no plan.”
Not included in this report are any potential permanent sites. Although the city's report notes 50 people at a designated encampment site would cost the city over $180,000.
Social activist Florence Stratton said the cost of not helping homeless people should be included in this report.
“That cost is sometimes fingers and toes lost to frostbite, all too often it’s life itself.”
Stratton stressed all levels of government need to focus on social/affordable housing to truly end homelessness, and investing money into warming centres and/or encampment sites is only a temporary solution.
Ward 3 Coun. David Froh echoed Stratton’s statement, stating, “We’ve been throwing good money at really bad solutions.”
The city acknowledged that while this report addresses additional spaces at warming centres, it does not address housing and supportive housing.
Mayor Chad Bachynski said the relationship between levels of government and demonstrating the reality of homelessness in Regina is what will be most effective to continue improving housing supports.
The motion passed 9-1, with Ward 1 Coun. Dan Rashovich being opposed. Final passing of the motion will occur next week.
Administration also noted they’re updating their housing strategy, which will be presented in a report during the spring.
