REGINA — The City of Regina has updated its approach to encampments for a more caring and supportive response, after passing a motion on Wednesday.
The update includes the creation of the Community Action Response to Encampments (CARE) Team.
Included in the team are the Regina Police Service, Regina Fire, Ministry of Social Services, an Indigenous community member, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Regina Street Team (RST), community entity — Co-ordinated Access Regina, City of Regina Parks & Open Spaces Services, bylaw enforcement, homelessness co-ordinator, and Facilities & Fleet.
After an encampment is reported, the city’s homelessness co-ordinator will review and track the situation.
CARE will then proceed to engage with residents, set up an action plan, and complete a risk assessment.
If an encampment is seen at-risk, CARE will offer co-ordinated support. This could then be followed by enforced applicable bylaws from the city.
Former RST members Jason Knudsen and Rob Kraushaar were concerned about putting the group together with enforcement.
“Being directly tied to the encampment response team, I think, would take a lot from the important work that we do,” said Knudsen.
“It’s more than just showing up to encampments and trying to get people out of there, it can be a slow process to build relationships with people who don’t have a lot of trust for systems,” he added.
Kraushaar mentioned it puts the street team in a “horrible spot,” having to help people find shelter with encampments only to be a part of a group which could take them down.
Homeless activist Mandla Mthembu said the encampment response cannot be all about enforcement, stating the city’s previous guideline had too much of it.
“It always involved dismantling encampments if they were on public property, and I just don’t understand how any of us listen to the news, live in communities, [who] work in downtown Regina, and care about our fellow human beings, and continue to watch people get dismantled and moved.”
Regina’s previous encampment response involved assessment, well-being, and outreach. However, the city would eventually close and co-ordinate, and decommission the space.
With the new response, an encampment site deemed safe and in an appropriate space can continue to operate while housing is found for the homeless.
Mthembu feels encampment sites will help save lives, while also saving the city money.
“Encampment zones, bylaw spaces, accessible indoor spaces, 24-7 on-site supports like bathroom and drinking water storage for existing encampments are all things that would be easy to implement, with things that wouldn’t cost us a ton of money.”
He added, “ If it’s going to save lives — and we’re looking at how many people die from living on the streets, and how many people die from not getting the support they need — then why would we not move forward with that?”
In a report, the city noted an encampment for 50 people for a month would cost over $180,000.
These costs include access to Indigenous healing services, on-site support, food, drinking water, etc.
Overall, councillors raved about progress on the city’s encampment response in a short time.
“Seeing our approach to dealing with folks who are having to find shelter in the street and encampments moving from a bylaw-led approach where we don’t have folks informed enough to do that with care, to an approach that is saying we’re going to do that with care… is a step in the right direction,” said Ward 6 Coun. Victoria Flores.
