Clark “not comforted” by additional shelter funding in Saskatchewan

There is some disappointment being expressed in regard to Tuesday’s funding announcement by the province for Saskatchewan’s shelters as they deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

$171,000 was announced across ten shelters, as part of Saskatchewan’s Social Services Pandemic Response. The one-time payment will be split up across the homeless shelters, but Saskatoon’s mayor doesn’t think it’s enough.

“Shelters right now need to be able to operate and provide all of the services, and more challenging circumstances to their residents (with) fewer capacity to have people because of the need to have physical distancing,” Mayor Charlie Clark explained Tuesday at a city media conference.

The $171,000 brings total funding for emergency shelters from the province to a total of $3.93 million.

But, Clark said there are other factors emergency shelters need to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now (emergency shelters) have to figure out how to provide personal protective equipment for their staff. They have historically been funded on the basis of how many people come into (the shelter),” he said.

“The costs are going up, the sources of revenue are going to be diminishing,” he said. “I don’t know how possibly that’s going to meet the need, especially when the challenge of providing supports to people right now is more difficult, not less.”

Clark said the current homeless population in Saskatoon is more than what existing shelters can provide. Adding on top of that a reduced capacity due to physical distancing, Clark said they need to get the population into housing that is safe.

“I’m not comforted by the amount that’s been announced today,” he said.

“If you think of any space right now, in the community, we have to have physical distancing. Shelters right now have to do the same thing.”

Three shelters in Saskatoon secured the additional funding Tuesday: YWCA Saskatoon, Lighthouse Saskatoon and Salvation Army Saskatoon.