'It's so frustrating': More people sleeping outside in Saskatoon, community support officers say
Frontline services in Saskatoon are reporting an increase in the number of people sleeping outside and refusing to use the various housing organizations in the city.
Rob Garrison, supervisor of the Community Support Program (CSP), said this has resulted in more calls for service and many more reports of open drug use.
According to his support officers, people are choosing to sleep on the street over isolating in a hotel or working with an agency to find suitable housing.
“It’s so frustrating because we can see that it’s not healthy, that it’s not safe, that they are putting themselves in a vulnerable position,” Garrison said.
Stylus Assiniboine told CTV News he’s been homeless since he was released from jail around two months ago. He said he’s currently trying to kick his addiction to crystal meth and finds it difficult to sober up and secure safe housing.
“My addiction is a problem because it makes me think people are judging me and they don’t want to help me,” Assiniboine said while resting near the White Buffalo Youth Lodge in Saskatoon. “The drugs make me think people don’t want to help. I have to break this addiction.”
While he does his best to remain sober, Assiniboine said he feels he’d have a much better chance of kicking his meth addiction if he was in a suitable home, admitting how easy it is to fall back to the drug through feelings of helplessness and despair.
“Most days it just seems like it’s never going to get better and we just give up on everything and accept being homeless. It’s a struggle,” he said.
On Wednesday the city’s street activity subcommittee met to discuss Garrison’s report. During the meeting Garrison spoke about the challenges of responding to calls where a person is intoxicated by drugs and the different challenges presented to his community support officers.
“I don’t know what the street level solutions are, it is alarming,” he said. “There hasn’t been a lot of improvement I was hoping for to help people under the influence, they are a difficult group to house short and long term. It takes more than just moving them along.”
Assiniboine agrees, saying that despite places to go to detox and help sober up, he finds himself trapped by his addictions again.
“There’s rehab and detox but after you’re done all that and you’re back in the world on your own, it’s nearly impossible to remain sober because of how life is,” he said.
Garrison reported his staff responded to 108 calls for outreach in May alone and with many calls keeping officers for hours at a time. On average Garrison said his team receives about 30 outreach calls a month.
The street activity subcommittee passed a motion to send a letter to the city’s standing policy committee on planning, development and community services to come up with ideas to improve access to housing for vulnerable people.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.