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The Government of Saskatchewan says it will spend millions to expand and enhance programming aimed at preventing homelessness and supporting those living on the streets.
Over the next three years, the provincial government said it will spend $20 million on programming to address homelessness. That figure includes $12 million in “predictable multi-year funding” to support municipalities and community led initiatives, $4 million to create up to 40 new spaces at existing emergency shelters and another $4 million to improve supportive housing and trusteeship services, while adding up to 60 new spaces.
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Terry Jenson, Saskatchewan’s social services minister, said the province has spent more than $98 million since announcing its Provincial Approach to Homelessness program in 2023.
“This additional provincial investment is building on programs and services already in place to provide multi-year funding for community-led responses to homelessness, expand emergency shelter capacity, and support transitions to supportive housing,” Jenson said in a statement.
The provincial government said it is working with other levels of government, Indigenous partners and community partners in order to “seek new solutions to the complex issue of homelessness.”
“Our discussions with partners led to the areas chosen for this additional investment, with a focus on supporting services and initiatives that are demonstrating progress and having a positive impact,” Jenson added.
“We look forward to continuing to partner with service providers, with our municipal and federal counterparts, and with Indigenous and community organizations to help people in need transition to stable housing, remain successfully housed, and achieve a better quality of life.”
Homelessness is a growing problem in Saskatchewan, particularly in larger, urban centres. In Saskatoon, the province’s largest city, a count identified 1,499 homeless people in 2024, nearly three times higher than the 550 homeless people identified in the city’s 2022 count.
Mayor Cynthia Block, who made homelessness a key feature of her 2024 mayoral campaign, has even floated the idea of adding a special levy to property taxes in order to secure more funding to address homelessness and the issues it causes in the community.
