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Saskatoon Lighthouse shelter beds to be transferred to Salvation Army, other providers

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As Lighthouse Supported Living's downtown emergency shelter winds down, its beds will be moved to other service providers, beginning with the Salvation Army.

As of this weekend, 30 of the 61 emergency beds will be moved to the Salvation Army, according to a statement from Lighthouse president Jerome Hepfner.

The remaining 31 beds will stay at the Lighthouse "for the time being," Hepfner said.

"Our other services will continue to operate until the Ministry of Social Services and Ministry of Health establish arrangements with other services providers to ensure care for the individuals currently relying on Lighthouse services," Hepfner said.

The Ministry of Social Services said it is continuing to have discussions with other community partners to plan the transition of all 61 emergency shelter beds away from the Lighthouse.

The ministry announced it would be pulling its funding for the Lighthouse earlier this year after it came to light that the director of the Lighthouse Don Windels had used shelter funds for personal loans.

Hepfner appeared to reference the controversy in his statement.

"The Lighthouse has made significant strides to heal the organization and we have maintained our focus on serving our clients," Hepfner said.

"Our goal remains to assist those with the greatest needs in the city," he said. 

Windels was placed on leave in January.

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