REGINA — There is still no resolution in sight to a controversy in which seniors are being evicted from their Regina Housing Authority units in the Rochdale area to make way for younger tenants.
On Tuesday, Deborah Stumph and Rickey Lamha both took their concerns to the Legislature after being told they had to move out of their suites at an apartment building on Rochdale Boulevard.
During question period, the NDP’s April ChiefCalf noted that Stumph has been ordered to vacate the suite in the Rochdale neighbourhood that she lived in for 30 years by May 31 because she had aged out of her apartment. Lamha was told he must vacate his one-bedroom apartment when he turns 55 years old.
In response, Social Services Minister Terry Jenson agreed to meet with the residents but pointed to a “very difficult situation in Regina.”
“We have plenty of seniors’ housing available. We are running low on family housing. We have $86 million committed in this budget for renovations and repairs across the province, including Regina, so that we can increase the number of family units. And we’re simply asking families — including, well, seniors — to maybe just consider having that suite available for a family, Mr. Speaker.”
In speaking to reporters, the two residents were clearly upset by being asked to move.
“I have friends there, I have everything I need there,” said Stumph. “I just don’t want to leave and I don’t understand.”
As for being asked to leave at over 55 years old, she said “to me that is discrimination.”
“If it was a young person that wanted to live downtown in the senior place and have no place to go, let them move there until they can find your own place, but that’s just not right. Like, I have to start all over again. Why should I at 74 years old?”
Lamha said he found out he had to leave in a phone call. He had a few words for the minister.
“What I want to say to the Minister is, you know, … you’re not shuffling your cabinet around, you’re shuffling people around and that’s not right to be uprooted in a community that we’ve been in there for a long time now, everything around for us… it’s not right to be doing that. I mean I heard the statement we want to put people suited in the community, but we’re already suited in this community for a lot of years.”
On Thursday, the NDP raised the issue again, making it clear there was no resolution. Regina Rochdale MLA Joan Pratchler pointed to a letter the seniors had received.
“We get this letter saying that ‘we will be flexible in the amount of time while we plan on how you’re going to move,’” said Pratchler to reporters.
“They don’t want to move. And yes, I have seniors in my riding and there’s seniors in every other riding in this province and they’re seeing this go on and they’re wondering are we next? That’s scary for seniors, it’s unacceptable.”
When asked again about the issue in question period, Minister Jenson had this to say, as recorded in Hansard:
“Speaker, it was my pleasure to meet with Deb and Rickey the other day in my office. We had a good 45-minute to one-hour meeting. We also had officials from Saskatchewan Housing Corporation there as well, Mr. Speaker.
“This is a situation that we wanted to get their feedback on so that we can better understand their own personal situation, and then how the policy within Sask Housing Corporation can be applied. So this is something that we continue to work on with both Deb and Rickey, and it’s going to be something that I’m going to be personally monitoring so that we have an outcome that works for everybody. Thank you.”
