Regina fourplex that exploded was among 700 vacant low-income units: housing corporation

There are currently 700 Regina Housing Authority units sitting empty — and a fourplex that blew up last weekend in the North Central neighbourhood used to be one of them. 

The fourplex on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Retallack Street that exploded on Sunday — due to what fire investigators have determined to be a "compromised" gas line — had been vacant since April 2021.

The Saskatchewan Housing Corporation said that's because there is "little demand" for social housing in the North Central area. 

According to the Crown corporation, which owns the properties, 390 of Regina's roughly 700 vacant units are reserved for seniors, mostly in high-rise buildings.

Seventy of those units are out of service due to turnover or are under renovation, while another 210 "would be ready very quickly depending on level of demand," the Crown corporation said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon.

Of the approximately 300 units appropriate for families, the housing corporation said 108 are out of service due to turnover or are under major renovation.

"The length of time a unit remains vacant depends on how well the unit meets the needs of individuals who are looking for housing — typically due to size or location," the SHC's statement said.

The housing corporation added that homes in "preferenced neighbourhoods" that can accommodate larger families or people with disabilities are turned over faster than two-bedroom family units and senior high-rise apartments in "established neighbourhoods."

But Peter Gilmer, an advocate with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, said many of his clients could help fill the vacant social housing units in the city's core.

"For a lot of the people that we work with, that question of geography is not top of mind. Their biggest concern is having an affordable place to live — period," he said, estimating there are roughly 650 houseless people in Regina.

Andrew Stevens, a city councillor whose ward covers North Central, said he won't deny that crime and poverty issues in the neighbourhood are real and may deter potential renters. However, he noted that the number of people experiencing homelessness across Regina is growing and more must be done to stop it.

"There are people who are freezing right now in Regina because they cannot be housed," he said.

"We need the provincial government, the city and the federal government to be working hand-in-hand to make sure the people who need housing right now are finding those units in empty spaces in Regina."

Stevens pointed to the City of Regina's latest plan to end homelessness, which uses a housing-first approach. 

Gilmer agreed that social housing is a part of the solution, along with wraparound services that offer mental health and addictions supports.

"We need to make sure that we're able to make use of [affordable housing units] and get people in there as quickly as possible," he said.

"It's something we see as absolutely vital."