Nine emergency shelters to get extra funding from gov’t

Nine emergency shelters in Saskatchewan are to receive more financial support from the provincial government to assist them in their response to COVID-19.

In a media release Friday, the government said it was giving a total of $171,000 to the YWCA Regina’s My Aunt’s Place, the Salvation Army’s Regina and Saskatoon locations, the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission’s Regina and Moose Jaw locations, the Saskatoon and North Battleford locations of Lighthouse Supported Living, the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter, and the YWCA Cold Weather Shelter in Prince Albert.

The funding is over and above the pandemic response supports that were announced in April. The new money is to offset the extra costs the shelters are facing during the pandemic and to further support staff and client safety.

“A number of sectors have needed a helping hand during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Social Services Minister Lori Carr said in the release. “We continue to support Saskatchewan’s emergency shelters that have done incredible work to adjust and respond to COVID-19.”

The government said it provides $4 million annually to emergency shelters in the province that are under contract to the Ministry of Social Services.