'We are stuck here': Saskatoon woman says she can't sell home due to nearby shelter

A Saskatoon homeowner says her proximity to a homeless shelter is the reason her house wouldn’t sell.

Deairra Lynchuk has lived on Clancy Drive for the past 15 years.

She says since the Saskatoon Tribal Council's Wellness Centre opened in December, just steps away from her home, the Fairhaven neighbourhood changed.

“We're seeing needles everywhere, we’re seeing crack pipes, we're seeing people with encampments,” Lynchuk told CTV News.

“I have very young children, I shouldn't have to speak to them about drugs and drug paraphernalia at this age, but unfortunately I am having to because it's a safety issue now.”

Lynchuk said she found a knife on the sidewalk, in front of her home.

As a safety precaution, Lynchuk built her fence higher and installed security cameras.

In February, Lynchuk decided she had enough and listed her home for sale.

“We had a large number of people go through our home, and the consensus was that the home was great, but they would not buy because we were located too close to the shelter,” Lynchuk said.

After a month, Lynchuk took the home off the market.

“The market was trending up, but the sale of our home would trend down because as we got closer to warmer months, the activity in the area was increasing,” Lynchuk said.

“We can’t sell, which means we can’t leave the neighbourhood. We can’t just buy in another neighbourhood now. We are stuck here. We don’t have a choice.”

While Lynchuk says shelters are needed in Saskatoon, she doesn’t believe they should be in residential neighbourhoods.

In March, Saskatoon police said officers spend 20 hours a day in the Fairhaven neighbourhood. Police Chief Troy Cooper said there has been an increase of calls — mostly about social disturbances, rather than criminal activity.

CTV News has contacted the Saskatoon Tribal Council, which operates the shelter, and is awaiting a response.