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People experiencing homelessness in the Queen City will have a place to turn to at the end of July.
New Beginnings, a City of Regina-owned enhanced emergency shelter, opens July 28.
This comes after city council approved the space in September of 2024.
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- Emergency shelter building to get 2,000 sq. ft. addition before opening
- Council approves improvements around upcoming Halifax Street shelter
The shelter, with space for 50 beds, is located at 1600 Halifax Street and is owned by the city. It replaces the temporary shelter previously located at the Nest Health Centre in Regina’s downtown.
Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski said that while moving to a permanent shelter is a step in the right direction, there is still a need to do more. (Marija Robinson/980 CJME)
“The opening of Regina’s new permanent emergency shelter is more than just bricks and mortar, it’s a symbol of dignity, compassion and hope,” said Mayor Chad Bachynski in a statement.
“For far too long, many have had to rely on temporary solutions, not knowing where they might lay their heads at night. This shelter is a start to change that; but we know this is only the beginning.”
Bachynski said that the construction of the new facility was a herculean effort.
“It was an incredible effort in collaboration and cooperation to get this built in the time that we did — 18 weeks is an incredible feat — and so the coordination that was required to do that, to get this facility open in the time that we were able to, is nothing short of a miracle.”
He said that while moving to a permanent shelter is a step in the right direction, there is still a need to do more.
“We’ve heard that this isn’t growing our capacity at this particular shelter and we know that we’re at a lack of space still, so there are still ongoing conversations to expand that capacity to meet the needs of our residents,” Bachynski said.
The sleeping quarters at New Begginnings are semi private, allowing for one-on-one support. (Marija Robinson/980 CJME)
Natasha Kennedy, executive director at Regina/Treaty Status Indian Service Inc., which will manage and operate the facility, said that the shelter will be nothing but beneficial.
“New Beginnings shelter reflects a shared commitment to provide compassionate, community-led solutions that prioritize the dignity, safety and long-term well-being of the residents.
“Temporary leaves us in an unknown … when we have a permanent solution, we can continue to build off what we know is working, as we know homelessness is ever-changing. Our demographic, in terms of our population of those who are experiencing homelessness, continues to change,” Kennedy said.
“We want to ensure that if we’re creating shelters, we know what those shelters would look like and how they best fit the City of Regina and our vulnerable population that we respond to.”
Kennedy said the shelter will likely mirror their previous centre.
“We work and operate on a 24/7 basis, so at any point in time we have 10 workers,” she said. “Currently we are sitting at 50 beds at the shelter, so it’s the same amount,” she said.
“Our addiction programming will continue to come in, our elder supports will continue to come in, the case management. Really we’re just moving locations. I think our services will remain the same,” said Kennedy.
The Federal Transit and Housing fund provided $3 million towards the development of the space, along with $1.1 million of capital funding from the Federal Government’s Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampment Initiative, and up to $3 million from the Government of Saskatchewan as a forgivable loan.
One million dollars of the existing annual city budget will go towards ongoing operational costs.
The total cost of the shelter is $6.8 million.
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