Saskatchewan's $90M social services initiative underway

Over six months after Saskatchewan's government announced a significant $90 million investment in social services, the initiative is reportedly making progress.

 The funding, allocated over two years, aims to enhance shelters, housing, addiction support, and several other critical services.

The Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky said the ongoing efforts to expand the province's social support framework.

"That work is going on every day behind the scenes to bring on more shelters, more supportive housing, and hopefully, folks will have a path to shift to market housing or on their own," said Makowsky.

However, the NDP's social services critic, Meara Conway, argues that while the funding is necessary, it falls short of addressing the full scale of the issues.

"The problem with the current approach is the numbers. It's just a drop in the bucket when you compare the number of spots that are opening up, compared to the actual number in terms of who's needing this kind of service, so I don't think we're going to see real success in this area," Conway said

One of the upcoming projects includes the temporary Idylwyld Complex, a shelter designed to accommodate fifteen people for 18 months.

Minister Makowsky reassured that progress is being made.

"I know work is underway on the construction side, as well as the human resource side, and of course, both will need to come forward, but I think that work is progressing, and is just another avenue for individuals who are having issues," said Makowsky.

As the program and its implementation are still in the early stages, it remains to be seen whether the approach will meet the needs of Saskatchewan's most vulnerable populations.