Saskatoon leaders grapple with how to address 'new level of homelessness'
Saskatoon city officials are working on a plan to accommodate the call from the community to set up temporary emergency shelters in the city, to help house the growing number of homeless people as winter nears.
But before any temporary emergency shelters can be set up, or before empty buildings can be converted into emergency shelters, the city needs to amend zoning bylaws and create a definition for emergency residential shelters.
In a report to the city’s planning, development and community services committee, city administration and the Saskatoon Fire Department looked at zoning bylaw adjustments and development permits to allow for the establishment of temporary emergency shelters.
Planning director Leslie Anderson said administration is still working through details but anticipates not allowing emergency shelters in low-density residential areas.
"But we also have to balance all of this with the fact that there are only certain types of buildings where this is going to be able to be accommodated," Anderson said to the committee. "So we need to try to build a reasonable response that can allow for a facility to be developed. What we don't want to do is put in the restrictions that will make it impossible to achieve this."
The city said it will be bringing forward recommendations to zoning bylaw changes and criteria for emergency shelters, which will need approval by city council at a public hearing later this month.
Cameron Choquette, CEO of the Saskatchewan Landlords’ Association addressed the committee on Monday explaining that the increase in visible homelessness in Saskatoon is in part due to a recent change in how social assistance is handed out to social assistance clients.
At the end of August, Choquette said, the province amalgamated its old social assistance program into one program called Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS), where direct payment to utility and rental providers was eliminated, and security deposits were scaled back to once every two years.
"What we've seen, and I think is important for the committee to consider today is, that the systemic changes are creating a new level of homelessness in Saskatoon and in our province," Choquette said.
He added the changes to income assistance have created a pile of rent arrears for social housing providers, leading to more evictions and more homeless people across Saskatchewan.
"We’ve seen increased encampments and we’ve seen increased homelessness in our city."
Mayor Charlie Clark said the city has a homelessness problem that has been growing for years and has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and the addictions crisis in Saskatoon.
"While we've been trying to put that fire out through a number of different initiatives … it has felt like the changes to the SIS program are really potentially adding fuel to that same fire that we're trying to put out and potentially driving more people into homelessness and it's at a time when it's getting cold," Clark said.
The administration report says that to be in the best position possible to accommodate requests for temporary emergency residential shelters, planning and development will submit a proposal to change the city's zoning rules to include a definition for emergency residential shelters and clear regulations for the application and renewal process to create such shelters.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft has landed on the moon’s far side to collect rocks in a growing space rivalry with U.S.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.