Prince Albert aims to reduce homeless population with new initiative

Dionne helped launched the Homelessness Action Initiative surrounded by stakeholders outside in the city’s downtown. (Lisa Risom/CTV News)

SASKATOON -

The mayor of Prince Albert says the new Homelessness Action Initiative is a collaborative approach to help reduce the number of homelessness people in the city.

“We believe this initiative will help better inform our understanding of problems, causes and solutions and we have not yet realized until we look at data, balance our perspectives and collaborate,” said Mayor of Prince Albert Greg Dionne.

Joined by stakeholders in the city’s downtown, Dionne helped launched the Homelessness Action Initiative.

The initiative is led by researcher Chad Nilson from the Living Skies Centre for Social Inquiry (LSCSI).

“This year, we’ve noticed an increase in absolute homelessness, people that are actually living on the street,” said Nilson.

He led a point-in-time count on March 24 and recorded 71 people who accessed shelters or were assisted by a Mobile Crisis Unit or brief and social detox. Another 26 people slept unsheltered.

The study concluded about another 300 people were “hidden homeless” and stayed with friends and family. Most of the people who are homeless fall between the ages of 25 and 44.

Nilson says in the last three years a more transient homeless population has emerged and urban migration has challenged service providers.

“Challenged…to follow up with them to access detox, addictions services or housing or employment supports,” said Nilson.

The Homelessness Action Initiative is a partnership between the City of Prince Albert, the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness and LSCSI and is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Reaching Home program.

The Prince Albert city council approved $10,500 to LSCSI from the the Fiscal Stabilization Fund on Nov. 2 for the initiative.

The initiative aims to engage stakeholders from areas such as housing, mental health addictions, policing, corrections, courts and business. Municipal, Indigenous and provincial governments will also be part of the forum's discussions and research.

“This is an opportunity to facilitate a collaborative dialogue between the different service providers, government and business community to identify some of the causes, some of the impacts and of course some of the solutions of homelessness,” said Nilson.

He says in January, partners will come together to identify immediate needs and find solutions as soon as possible.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us and it will be a long journey to make lasting change,” said Dionne.

Over the last 10 years, Nilson has conducted previous studies on homelessness in the city in 2019 and 2016.