Saskatoon city council approves encampment plan to unlock $4.5M in federal funding
Plan includes new 30-unit supported housing project, funding for permanent shelter
Saskatoon city council has approved a new homelessness and encampment plan that comes with $4.5 million in federal money for a range of projects that include a new 30-unit supported living development.
A special meeting of city council on Thursday had two items on the agenda, both focused on homelessness and affordability. Just prior to the meeting, the city released early results from the 2024 point in time count, which found the number of unhoused people in Saskatoon almost tripled to 1,499 since the last count two years ago.
Councillors had to approve the Community Encampment Response Plan to meet the criteria to apply for the federal funding. The plan includes partnering with a community organization to build a 30-unit supported living and community centre complex, and contributing capital dollars to a permanent emergency shelter.
"I feel it's a great opportunity to deal with probably the number one issue that this city has right now," said Coun. Scott Ford. "It's the start of actually getting some real movement in solving our homeless problem and helping those people."
The upcoming projects will help Saskatoon's growing population of unhoused people, said Lesley Anderson, the city's director of planning and development.
"Those will make a small dent in this number once they're open, but they will provide safe places," Anderson said. "The supportive housing is really trying to provide … that longer-term option for someone to have stable housing. And that is ultimately what we need to do instead of continuing to add shelter beds."
Ottawa's Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampment Initiative earmarked $4.48 million for Saskatoon, but only if the city matches the funding. Anderson said the city won't have to spend any new money, because city-funded projects from the past two years — such as the public washroom pilot project launched this year — can retroactively qualify as contributions.
Mayor Cynthia Block said taking the federal money and using past projects as in-kind contributions to match is a "win-win" for Saskatoon.
"We are taking the job very seriously from the standpoint that our residents expect us to be moving forward in a manner that is actually starting to solve the issues that we face, making sure people are safely housed and making sure that they are able to transition out of homelessness," Block said.
The plan includes $275,000 toward a new permanent emergency shelter with 60 beds. Planning for the province-led project is underway, but its location hasn't been decided. Construction could start in 2025.
About $3.8 million would go to construction of 30 supported housing units and a community space that would double as a cooling and warming centre when needed. The city wants to partner with an Indigenous-led organization to develop the project.
Another $400,000 would pay for a feasibility study on a community navigation centre, a hub that connects people experiencing homelessness to a range of services and resources.
City pays for temporary shelter renos
City council also approved spending $360,000 to pay for unexpected renovations at the temporary emergency shelter in downtown Saskatoon.
The province chose The Mustard Seed — a faith-based organization in Alberta that operates in several cities — to run the 35-bed shelter at 210 Pacific Avenue, and committed $250,000 to renovate the former Saskatchewan Transportation Corporation building now owned by the city.
The site's mechanical and electrical systems need more work than planned for, which doubled the construction budget to $535,000, plus $75,000 of work the province declared ineligible for funding.
The $360,000 is coming out of the capital expenditures reserve, but the city aims to recoup the money from the province and return it to the reserve.
The shelter is now set to open in March. When the project came to city council for approval earlier this year, the plan was to open the shelter this winter.
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