Vigil honours 'nameless' and 'forgotten' people who have died from homelessness in Regina

Candles and ribbons laid out at a vigil in downtown Regina represented people who have died due to homelessness in years past and present.

The ninth annual memorial event, organized by Regina Homeless Memorial, was meant to honour those lost and raise awareness.

Eryn Langdon, a program manager with Phoenix Residential Society who serves on the homeless memorial committee, spoke at the event.

"Everybody whose name we read, they have a story, and there's a reason that some people have lost their lives to homelessness," Langdon said at the memorial on Tuesday night.

Langdon said affordable housing is a driving factor in homelessness and that the community needs to come together to solve it.

"We've had a really cold winter, as you know, so it's been really difficult [for homeless people], especially with things like lack of shelter space, lack of affordable housing," Langdon said.

In December, the affordable housing organization Namerind released a report on the state of homelessness in Regina. It said a count done in October found an increase of 255 per cent from 2015 — to 824 from 232.

The report says Regina is facing a rapidly growing crisis caused by systemic economic and social factors.

Robert Kraushaar is the program manager of the Regina Street Team, a group that connects homeless people with services or crisis counselling.

"I really wish I didn't have to come to [memorial events]," Kraushaar said. "But they mean a lot to me because it gives a chance for the people who most times are nameless in society, and forgotten about, just to be recognized."

Kraushaar said being on the frontline with the street team is difficult and burns people out.

"I know that at times it seems like I might be, like, almost robotic with feelings by the time I get home," he said. "That's just how it has to be for me to continue doing this."

Kraushaar said friendships the team makes with people on the street make it all worth it.

"The whole street team has been able to hear 'I love you' from somebody, and to be able to say it to somebody that doesn't ever get to hear it," he said. "That makes it all worthwhile.… But letting go of them is hard because you feel like you could have done something more."

Kraushaar, who used to be homeless himself, said the number of young people on the street is growing, as is the complexity of issues like mental health and addiction.

He said there aren't enough supportive living spaces, and that more and more people face barriers to the supports that are available.