SHELTER AND HEALING
Phoenix HOMES program aims to remove barriers for people in need
“It was like winning the lottery,” says Roy Ironchild after Phoenix HOMES offered him a more permanent place to stay. Ironchild, who has spent time in and out of jail, says the program has helped get “rid of obstacles that seemed to be tripping me up.”
A Regina organization helped Roy Ironchild find a more permanent place to stay after being homeless and spending time in and out of jail.
With the help of Phoenix HOMES, a Regina program that launched in 2014, the 49-year-old was able to find a more permanent home. Other agencies provided temporary shelter. The program was intended to work with people who are chronically homeless, but in some circumstances it has worked with people leaving incarceration.
“They got rid of all the obstacles that seemed to be tripping me up when I was getting released from corrections,” Ironchild said.
When someone leaves a correctional facility, where they go next can sometimes be answered ahead of time: back to their family or friends, or to a mental health or treatment facility, for example. For some, however, figuring out where to stay and how to get there isn’t easy.
Trauma, homelessness and incarceration have intersected in Ironchild’s life. He was abused as a child and started drinking at nine years old. His criminal record began at 23. Each time he got out of custody, he’d try to make changes in his life, but when things didn’t work, he felt like giving up, he said.
He tried rehab programs and counselling, to no avail, but reconnecting with his culture is helping him heal, he said.
Ironchild heard success stories from people housed by Phoenix HOMES, but wasn’t sure it would work for him because of his issues with alcohol. One day, he walked into the program’s office and was told there were a few places for him to look at.
“It was like winning the lottery,” he said.
He was first admitted into the program in June 2018. He later lost touch with the program, but subsequently reconnected and has been rehoused since April.
Kendra Giles, a supervisor at Phoenix HOMES, said the biggest challenge is getting people leaving incarceration set up with their finances. She said the HOMES program has some funding to be able to put people straight into housing and pay their rent to help them get set up.
“But none of the other agencies that we work with have that availability. If they’re working with someone that’s coming out of corrections, they don’t have that option, so they have to first get someone set up on assistance, which is now quite a long process,” she said.
For single women in Saskatoon, the challenge is a lack of shelter resources specific to them, despite the variety of shelters targeting different populations in the city, said Jonna Reaume, a social worker with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan, which advocates for female inmates.
“There’s just never enough shelter beds, and with Mumford House closing in the springtime, we’ve noticed that there has been a gap that hasn’t been filled,” she said, adding that she has seen women face long waits obtaining social assistance benefits.
Finding a way to get to the housing is another issue.
The province’s only jail for women is located in Prince Albert, but people leaving the facility return to communities all over Saskatchewan. Reaume said the shuttering of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company has left a dent and the Ministry of Corrections and Policing does what it can to safely get women where they need to be.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHS), which advocates for male inmates, has observed similar challenges. Amanda Richter-goddard, the organization’s director of judicial programs in Regina and Moose Jaw, said the organization’s institutional support line has been getting more calls asking if it can help with transportation.
“A lot of times, they’re going to different places that even Rider Express doesn’t get to,” Richter-goddard said. The JHS works with Saskatoon and Regina jail staff to figure out ways to help people with transportation, he noted. If someone needs to get to the Pine Lodge treatment centre in Indian Head, the organization has offered to help.
“We recognize that when you’re trying to do better, the last thing you need is more barriers,” she said.
The JHS runs a high-risk reintegration program out of Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw; Richter-goddard said they too find they’re spending long waits on the phone trying to arrange appointments for the men they work with.
In response to interview requests, the Ministry of Corrections and Policing and the Ministry of Social Services sent prepared statements about reintegration planning.
The Corrections and Policing statement said correctional staff begin reintegration planning with a sentenced inmate at admission to the facility. The ministry provides co-ordinators who develop plans for supervised reintegration and case managers who help inmates access resources in the community in preparation for their release.
“Offenders will return to the community and we have a responsibility to work with them towards a successful reintegration into the community,” the statement read.
The Social Services statement said incarcerated people can apply for income assistance before their release, and no appointment is required to apply. It recommends inmates start the application about 10 days before their release date, but their eligibility for income assistance will not be confirmed until after their release.
“Our front-line service response in local offices has not changed. We maintain emergency workers in all communities and can authorize benefits for emergency needs if a person does not have the means to pay for their basic needs.”
Ironchild said having shelter means he can focus on his future, including his artwork. Tradition and the support he has received from Phoenix HOMES have been what work for him, he added. “Every day is like a birthday to me.”
They got rid of all the obstacles that seemed to be tripping me up when I was getting released from corrections.