Advocates, NDP call for long-term plan to shelter homeless following Regina encampment tear-down
Former campers have spread out across the city, say homeless advocates
It's been three days since the homeless encampment at Regina's city hall was dismantled, due to what the city and fire marshal called unsafe conditions.
Now, advocates say many people who lived there are back to where they started before the camp began.
"At least now there's some volunteers that had some community and relationship with them beforehand that are trying to reconnect with them now," said community activist and camp volunteer Mandla Mthembu.
Volunteers have been walking around the city each night since Friday to try and reconnect with the campers and hand out supplies. Mandla said it's much more difficult to help the homeless now that there isn't a central location.
"Last night was the actual first time we went out as a group, not just individually. I probably saw 15-plus people from camp just living on the streets and back alleys [and] hiding out at different spots," said Mthembu on Monday.
Some residents of the now dismantled tent encampment were sent by Social Services to stay temporarily at hotels in Regina and a motel in Balgonie, just east of the city. But Mthembu said many who were taken to Balgonie have returned to Regina as of Monday.
He said volunteers went to talk with former campers in Balgonie as early as Saturday morning. Many said they were having difficulty getting their medications and Social Services-provided food. Mthembu said there may have been communication issues between the homeless and the ministry in terms of how the services provided to them would work.
The Ministry of Social Services told CBC that it is covering all transportation costs as former camp residents visit services in Regina to discuss longer-term shelter options and their needs.
Calls for provincial and federal action
Mandla and fellow community activist and camp volunteer Florence Stratton were two of 11 people arrested on Friday at city hall. Both were taken into custody for obstruction.
"I chose to be arrested. I think homelessness is one of the gravest injustices. If democracy means anything, we're all responsible," said Stratton.
"This is a rich city, a rich province, a rich country. How can there be unhoused people?"
Stratton said the encampment provided a community for those in need, and praised Regina citizens who came to city hall to donate food and clothing.
"It was just such an amazing place, and I'm heartbroken it's gone and very, very, very concerned about the people who did not have a bed to go home to when this place was so brutally taken down," said Stratton.
She wants to see a plan to solve homelessness in Regina as soon as possible. She wants the city to dedicate operational funding in its budget to deal swiftly with the crisis, and she wants the province to raise the income assistance rates above the poverty line.
Stratton is also calling on the federal government to return to a housing plan it initiated in 1994 in which it dedicated funds to build affordable housing in every city across the country every year.
"If those things would happen, there would be no more houselessness."
The Ministry of Social Services said in a statement that it has connected about 70 people with emergency shelter options ranging from shelters, to friends and families, to hotels since Friday. But the official opposition said that isn't enough.
"Relocating people temporarily to hotel rooms in Balgonie … it's not a plan. What we've been calling for, what municipalities have been calling for, what advocates have been calling for is a plan," said Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck on Monday.
"A strategy to deal with the homelessness crisis that we're seeing in the province right now. For the government to stop contributing to that crisis. Their choices around the SIS program, for example, their choice to leave 3,000 affordable housing units vacant."
What camp residents have to say
Chantal Lankey has been homeless for about four years and lived at the city hall encampment. While she said she is staying with her mom at the moment, the future is always uncertain.
"She's the type that likes to drink and kicks me out every every time she drinks or she's mad at me. So it's not very stable," Lankey said.
Lankey said she wants a home, but landlords will not rent to her because she's on income support.
"Every person that I've called has told me that," Lankey said.
She said she understands why some landlords are hesitant.
"A lot of people . . . they're drug addicts. Like, I'm struggling myself right now. You can have your rent sent directly to your landlord, but then a lot of the houses get trashed and they're putting so much more work into them afterwards when they move out. So that's why I think they don't rent to a lot of people."
Lankey said she desperately wants to get sober, but finds there are too many barriers to getting treatment that will work long-term. She said detox centres do not allow those with addictions to detox long enough, and that's why treatment has not stuck for her, despite going to a detox facility 14 times.
Lankey said she struggles with fentanyl addiction, and is scared of going through withdrawals again.
"There's times where I'll lie in bed and cry for hours cause I can't move," said Lankey.
She said those on fentanyl need at least five weeks in detox until they're healthy enough to leave. Lankey said her struggles to get a landlord to rent to her and her difficulty getting into an effective detox program have kept her in a cycle of homelessness.
Fellow former encampment resident Gregory Peepeetch said rehabilitation supports in Regina need to be stronger.
"The way the drugs are like moved around here is just wild. It's just bizarre. And when you talk about detox, you have to talk about recovery and you have to talk about cities as a whole," Peepeetch said.
In the meantime, Mthembu said removing the tents from city hall only pushes people out into Regina's neighbourhoods.
"It just means every neighborhood has people that are really vulnerable with high needs and have nowhere to go. It's only made things worse."
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With files from Radio-Canada