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As Saskatoon city councillors consider adopting a new affordable housing strategy, the executive director of the Salvation Army’s Crossroads Residential Services is offering some advice.
Major Gord Taylor addressed councillors during the Oct. 8 Planning, Development, and Community Services meeting.
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“There’s gaps along the entire (housing) continuum,” he said.
“If we’re creating more housing at that far end of the continuum, we can’t do it without also strengthening the steps that lead to it.”
In Saskatoon, Taylor said his primary job is helping people move on from shelters or temporary housing, and into more permanent homes.
“If we’re creating more housing in Saskatoon and the people that are taking advantage of it aren’t ready to be housed and don’t stay housed, then it’s not doing what it’s supposed to be doing,” he added.
Taylor said overnight shelters and warming centres are an area that needs particular attention. He said there’s a group of people the Salvation Army works with who sleep rough on the streets and are sometimes in shelters, but are not ready for case work yet.
“They’re just worried about what’s going to happen tonight or tomorrow, or the next meal,” Taylor explained.
“They’re not ready to engage in that case planning, and then they don’t qualify to stay in the shelter(s) for any length of time.”
He suggested the city needs a “basic” shelter that can take in both men and women, and doesn’t require clients to engage with social services.
Right now, Taylor said, it’s a scramble every winter to put together overnight warming centres for the people who need them.
“We still don’t know how much funding we have to run an overnight warming centre this winter,” he said. “We’re supposed to open in a few weeks.”
With a basic shelter that simply provides a place for people to sleep at night, Taylor said that scramble wouldn’t happen every winter, and consistent access could be provided year round.
Taylor added that enhanced shelters – like the Fairhaven Wellness Centre, the Salvation Army shelter, The Mustard Seed’s temporary shelter on Pacific Avenue and others – provide access to case planning to help clients work towards being housed, help with identification information, addictions counselling and other services. They also generally operate 24/7.
A basic shelter, he said, could be used one night at a time as needed and may also provide breakfast.
Currently, the city has two drop-in centres for those who have nowhere to go during the daytime, but clients aren’t allowed to sleep there.
Taylor said he’s discussed the idea with the provincial government on several occasions.
Saskatoon councillors will debate the new affordable housing plan at an upcoming city council meeting.
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