Sarah Mills: There are always things for which we should be grateful
Sarah Mills says that even in tough times, we all have things we should be grateful for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The tents are gone from a Saskatoon homeless encampment, but where most of the people living there have ended up remains unclear.
Around 120 people left the encampment along 20th Street and Avenue K South when crews cleared the site Thursday, removing about 80 tents and temporary structures.
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The Salvation Army says two people came to its Centre of Hope following the removal. Both were given emergency shelter, but by Thursday night the facility had reached capacity.
The organization says finding shelter and housing for people experiencing homelessness takes more than one agency.
“No single organization, including The Salvation Army, can manage the full scope of homelessness alone,” the organization said in an emailed statement.
“These are multi-agency issues involving municipal governments, health authorities, housing providers, outreach teams and community stakeholders.”
The Salvation Army says staff continue helping people find other services even when no beds remain.
“Once our shelter beds are at capacity, our staff continues to provide direction towards other local agencies and services to individuals willing to accept additional help.”
The organization also stressed that homelessness is not always a choice, and people can face barriers when trying to access help.
“Many experiencing homelessness are not there by choice. Stigma and other barriers can make access and transition very difficult.”
It says its work included emergency shelter, transition and supportive housing, and helping people connect with longer-term services.
Where did everyone go?
The City of Saskatoon says only two people accepted offers of support during Thursday’s removal, despite repeated attempts to connect residents with shelter housing, transportation, and other services.
It’s not clear whether those were the same two people who later stayed at the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope.
The city has not provided a breakdown of where the estimated 120 people went after leaving the encampment.
Deputy Fire Chief Yvonne Raymer says the decision to clear the site was driven by growing safety concerns for those living there and the surrounding neighbourhood.
“This is a complex operation that required balancing compassion for individuals experiencing homelessness with the need to address serious safety concerns within the encampment and surrounding community,” Raymer said Thursday.
The removal came after weeks of protests and court challenges over the encampment.
The city says concerns included fires, sanitation problems, assaults, open drug use and possible gang activity around the site.
Raymer said connecting people with safer places to stay remained a priority throughout the cleanup.
“Our priority from the start of the process was an orderly transition off the site while helping people access safer alternatives and available supports.”
With colder weather approaching, the Salvation Army says it will continue working with other organizations to connect people with shelter and housing.
“Our role is to collaborate, provide services and support transitions, and advocate for more resources and better system responses at the local level.”
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