ESTEVAN — A motion from the City of Estevan that calls for increased funding for local housing authorities was approved by delegates at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s (SUMA) convention.
Coun. Shelly Veroba, who called for the motion late last year during a meeting of Estevan city council, also advocated for its passing during the convention. She noted the motion received 98 per cent support from SUMA delegates.
The resolution states that safe and affordable housing is essential to well-being and stability of Saskatchewan communities; local housing authorities play a “critical” role in managing and maintaining affordable housing units for low and moderate-income residents; rising costs for maintenance, utilities, insurance and staffing have placed significant financial strain on housing authorities; and current provincial funding levels are insufficient to maintain housing stock, address deferred maintenance and meet increasing community demand.
It also calls for SUMA to advocate the provincial government to increase funding to local housing authorities to ensure the sustainability, maintenance and expansion of affordable housing in all Saskatchewan communities.
During her pitch, Veroba told the SUMA crowd that 600 of 17,000 units across the province are vacant, including over 50 units in Estevan.
Veroba claimed some of the vacant units in Estevan have been in disrepair since a rain-related flood in 2014.
“That’s 12 years that these units have not been rented, which is unacceptable and something needs to be done," she said.
In an email to SaskToday, the Ministry of Social Services said as of December 2025, Estevan has 289 units in the “active” rental inventory, of which 233 units, or 80.6 per cent, are occupied, while the remaining 56 are vacant. Among the vacancies, the ministry said 13 are rent-ready. The other 43 require repairs and many can be made ready to offer to new tenants within 30 days, depending on demand for social housing units in the community.
“The 2026-27 provincial budget continues to invest in increasing the availability of safe and appropriate housing for families and individuals. In 2026-27, government is investing $86 million to ensure provincially owned rent-ready units are available across the province,” the ministry said.
Council has noticed and has received calls about what it is going to do about the situation, Veroba said, because the vacancies aren’t good for neighbourhoods. She added there is a need in the province for safe, affordable housing.
“The local housing authority can only do what it can with the money allocated for the annual budget, because there just isn’t enough money to fix all of the units. So, they can help prioritize the ones that are in demand and leave the rest until they have the money needed to repair the units,” she said.”
Council does not want to see empty units in any neighbourhoods, she said. Members want to see the units fixed and rented as affordable housing to families.
Veroba noted there is a criteria to be able to rent a through Sask. Housing. She believes the government needs to ask why the units are empty, how to fill the units and why some have been vacant since 2014.
The city pays a percentage of the local housing authority's budget, she said, but it doesn't have a say in how the funds are allocated. The city does not have a voice on the board, either, and Veroba said the board has vacancies.
“I would encourage anyone who would like to see change, or become part of the solution, to put your name forward and join the hard-working people on the Estevan housing board.”
She added that prior to SUMA, council met with the local housing board and Sask. housing executive director Roger Parenteau to better understand the process in repairing and renting these units.
“Families, individuals and seniors across our province need safe, affordable homes, and the Saskatchewan government needs to start to provide this by immediately looking at their stock of vacant units and develop the plan,” said Veroba, who wants to know why there are vacancies when there is a housing crisis in Canada.
