Advocate says Sask. women's shelters need more funding during COVID-19

Jo-Anne Dusel said shelters in Saskatchewan — even those receiving no additional funding from the province in response to COVID-19 —are open and doing their best in these trying times.

"They are a safe place to go if you need to be free from an abusive partner," Dusel, executive director of the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS), said. 

Saskatchewan's Ministry of Social Services announced Tuesday that some emergency shelters serving those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic would get $171,000 in extra funding.

Dusel said a majority of women's shelters will not see any additional funding.

She said there is a need for some assistance from the province.

"The biggest need for shelters right now is for increased dollars for staffing," she said.

"[Public health initiatives] are setting shelters up for a staffing shortage. There's additional costs going on with paying someone who is sick, also at the same time as you have another staff coming in."

She said since self-isolation started, PATHS hasn't heard of an increase in domestic violence.

Dusel said she suspects people are, for the moment, staying where they feel comfortable and familiar. Shelters are, however, bracing for an increase.

"We know that countries like China and France have reported significant increases in the incidents of intimate partner violence, as a result of the pandemic and the families being cooped up in close quarters," she said. 

Dusel said community safety well-being representatives, through the Ministry of Justice, have been doing a good job supporting shelters so far. 

She said PATHS member agencies are helping connect people with income assistance and also working with Sask. Housing to find available units to get people out of shelters faster than before.

City calls for faster provincial action

On Wednesday, the City of Saskatoon called for quicker action and a "whole-of-government-approach" to addressing the concerns of vulnerable people throughout the province.

"Right now is an urgent time for the province to make it an immediate priority to get the systems in place to support our vulnerable population," Clark said.

"For two weeks, there's been discussions and meetings with the province, but frankly, we are lacking action."

Clark was unsure how much money would be needed to adequately support the shelters across the province. 

He suggested moving from a model of funding shelters based on the number of people who use them — which will be reduced due to social distancing measures — to a funding model that allows them to provide their services safely. 

Clark also called for the creation of a plan that would see people unable to find space in shelters placed in hotel rooms, something Merriman said is being done on a case-by-case basis.  

"Historically we've housed evacuees in hotels on occasion," Pamela Goulden-McLeod, the city's director for emergency planning said.

"The hotel strategy needs to include measures like front-line staff in the hotel to help co-ordinate the services this group needs … There needs to be one hotel that's COVID-related."

The city outlined its requests in a letter sent to the province on Monday.

Ministry outlines COVID protocols at shelters

Staff at shelters are to practice physical distancing, wash their hands frequently and ensure anyone presenting health issues contacts 811 about a COVID-19 test. 

If someone in a shelter requires a test for COVID-19, they would be given a hotel space to self-isolate until their results come back.

If the test comes back positive, Merriman said the SHA would begin it's investigative process and start contacting anyone who that person may have come in contact with in the previous 14 days. 

"Right now, we think that's sufficient," Merriman said. "We haven't seen a large increase in the shelter's capacity over the last week or so; we are anticipating that's going to change." 

He said the so-called "hidden homeless," or those who are couch-surfing who might need to self-isolate, or living in a home with someone presenting symptoms of COVID-19, could start showing up at shelters. 

Merriman said the ministry wants to ensure those people are brought in and tested as soon as possible.