The provincial government is committing an additional $3 million in annual funding to support year-round drop-in services for people experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon.
The funding will ensure services are available 365 days a year and provide more stability for service providers and vulnerable residents alike, the province said Tuesday.
"Our government is responding to rising needs in Saskatoon by providing predictable and consistent annual funding and continuity of year-round service delivery to support people experiencing homelessness,” Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said in a news release. “Annual funding will also support better coordination between the Province, City of Saskatoon, and Indigenous and community partners as we continue to tackle this very complex issue together.”
The Ministry of Social Services and the City of Saskatoon are expected to work together to identify community needs and direct funding to service providers, with the goal of having supports in place for the coming winter.
Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block called the province’s commitment an important step in addressing the city’s housing crisis.
"This commitment to stable, year-round funding is a vital step forward in addressing homelessness in our city," Block said. "Consistent support means we can better meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents—not just in times of crisis, but every day of the year. While this funding supports critical drop-in services, it also reinforces the importance of working together, across all orders of government and with community partners, toward the broader goal of ensuring everyone in Saskatoon has a safe place to call home.”
The announcement builds on the government’s $40.2-million Provincial Approach to Homelessness (PATH) investment introduced in 2023. That plan has so far supported the creation of 155 new supportive housing spaces, 141 enhanced emergency shelter spaces, 30 complex-needs emergency shelter spaces, as well as new street outreach and community safety responses across Saskatchewan.