Saskatoon targets bigger role in addressing homelessness crisis with new strategy

The City of Saskatoon thinks it can do more to help homeless people and encourage affordable housing development.

A report detailing new initiatives the city wants to establish as part of the Saskatoon Homelessness Action Plan passed the committee stage on Wednesday. The finalized action could be sent to city council for final approval in September.

Proposals in the plan include:

• Creating an inventory of vacant and derelict properties and incentives to develop them.
• Working with developers to convert underused commercial properties into affordable housing.
• Incentives for property owners to repair and renovate existing units.

Read the full list in the report here.

The proposals are meant to complement the city's existing work on homelessness, which includes increasing public access to washrooms, supporting winter warming shelters and a forthcoming affordable housing strategy.

Coun. Bev Dubois asked city staff at the committee meeting Wednesday if the action plan takes on work the province should be doing. She said she supports the plan, but wants the city and provincial roles clarified.

"The City of Saskatoon is not [the Ministry of] Social Services and a lot of this stuff fits in there," Dubois said during the meeting.

City manager Jeff Jorgenson said Saskatoon and the province can collaborate on some initiatives, and the city can do some on its own.

"We're both staying in our respective lane," he said.

"The list of responsibilities we're proposing the city take a leadership role in, we think, doesn't overlap into their realm.…This is the administration's perspective. And if council sees it differently, we're looking for that direction before we get too far along with the plan."

The Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) supports the plan, but said it doesn't do enough to improve safety.

Downtown BID executive director Shawna Nelson said the plan is urgently needed, but that the city should get more input from businesses owners and people who live and work downtown.

"These voices appear unrepresented in both the short and medium term strategies," Nelson told the committee.

"While it may not fall entirely within the scope of this plan, there remains a need for a dedicated plan with strategies focused on the safety and sustainability of our business community."

New shelter site soon?

Meanwhile, the city hinted it has identified the future site for a 60-bed permanent emergency shelter. Jorgenson said an announcement could happen soon.

"I know I've said that before, but we're very hopeful that we'll be able to make that announcement in the coming weeks of where the location is and then conduct those public information sessions that we had committed to," Jorgenson said.

The 40-bed temporary shelter on Pacific Avenue in downtown Saskatoon is only supposed to be open for 18 months. The province is responsible for funding and operating both the current and future emergency shelters.