Councillor says city hall tent encampment `not a surprise'
As for homeless camps around the city, Jain didn't comment on the need for more spaces but said the agreement between The Nest Health Centre and the City of Regina has been extended through to the end of September with longterm plans on the horizon.
Other shelters in Regina “have rules attached to them in terms of use and intoxication levels,” Masters said, adding that has been an issue for some people experiencing homelessness.
On Tuesday morning, Masters said there were 35 shelter spaces available in Regina as of Monday. Asked where that number came from, the mayor cited the Ministry of Social Services.
Speaking late on Monday afternoon Coun. Andrew Stevens (Ward 3) said knowing what he knows about the current need for housing and services in the community the tent encampment at city hall is “not a surprise.”
“You can't deal with this by tearing down some tents because as you do that people will find another place to live. I think it's just inevitable they were going to make their way to city hall,” said Stevens.
As for immediate options, Stevens, who was part of an unsuccessful court action to compel the city manager to include funding to end homelessness in the 2023 budget, said he wasn't sure what else people could do.
“I'm out of ideas,” he said. Supportive housing units are coming online thanks to federal dollars next year but Stevens said those resources are needed now and people can't wait.
He said there has already been a makeshift camp by the nearby YWCA for several weeks.
“The situation is dire. We see an uptick in individuals accessing the food bank, addictions, and overdoses, and by every measure matters like this are getting worse,” said Stevens.
Melissa Coomber-bendtsen, CEO of the Regina YWCA, said it's not unusual for more people to sleep rough during the warmer months but her organization has been dealing with visible homelessness since the start of the year.
“We saw an influx of people even before the summer hit. In January we started to see more people, particularly men hanging in our foyer and our lobby,” said Coomberbendtsen.
That's new for the YWCA. Speaking on Friday, Coomberbendtsen said the group camping near their building has been involved in “70 life-saving instances” since January.
“Those stats, honestly, were given to me last month so I'm not sure if that's increased,” she said.
Harm reduction supports, low-barrier shelters and support, in general, are possible improvements Coomber-bendtsen mentioned. As for what her organization can offer, there isn't much more. The washrooms and showers are open during the day, but the organization is not able to house more people.
“We're all fairly tapped out but we're trying to work together right now to make sure we can offer housing supports or support services for what those folks might need,” said Coomber-bendtsen.
“We do not have capacity.”