Province won’t commit to full funding of homeless shelters during pandemic

SASKATOON Saskatchewan non-profits are calling for full funding for homeless shelters as they brace for the impacts of the COVID -19 epidemic on the province’s most vulnerable.

But while Social Services Minister Paul Merriman has personally told operators help will be forthcoming, the government has stopped short of making any hard funding commitments.

Shelters receive full funding during periods of extreme cold weather; now they face the question of whether they can afford to keep providing services while also maintaining social distancing precautions.

“We always had the fire going, and now there’s someone standing next to the fire with a tank of gas and they’re about to pour it on,” Saskatoon Housing Partnership Initiative president Toby Esterby said. “That sounds overly dramatic. It’s not.”

Esterby said the situation was uncertain until Friday afternoon when Merriman joined a call between local charities and told them to prioritize health over dollars.

“He said, ‘If there’s people, bring them in and we’ll worry about it later,’” Esterby said.

However, on the same day, assistant deputy minister Tracey Smith clarified that shelters would operate as they normally do, though she acknowledged the call with Merriman had taken place.

She said social services could help welfare recipients seek shelter in hotels, but wouldn’t pledge any new funding.

In Saskatchewan, shelters are not normally guaranteed funding for each person they house.

That depends largely on which income assistance program the person is on, if any, and whether the person normally has other shelter.

Don Windels, executive director of the Lighthouse shelter in Saskatoon,

said the organization had been grappling with how to provide services for its population, who are especially vulnerable to the health and social effects of COVID-19.

The shelter already struggles to make ends meet on a good day, and was recently forced to suspend its volunteer program. Windels had sought a funding guarantee like it receives during periods of extreme cold to keep operations running.

“Right now, having a person in a house is important so they can self-isolate,” Windels said. “It’s funny, two weeks ago we were not thought of as an essential service by some. Now we very much are.”

The shelter has 99 beds and an additional 38 in its detoxification facility.

Esterby and two other sources said Merriman also promised that people wouldn’t be cut off from welfare if they failed to meet the province’s normal reporting requirements, a claim that Smith would not confirm.

Saskatchewan introduced a new welfare program last year.

To get their cheque, recipients have to fill out applications and reach certain “benchmarks,” like obtaining photo identification. It also puts more emphasis on in-person meetings and consultations.

Clients are worried about whether that reporting will be feasible given the lack of available services.

“Even if you used the internet or a call, where are you supposed to go?” Esterby said.

“The library is closed, and there’s virtually nowhere in Saskatoon where you can access public Wifi or make a phone call now if you don’t have a device.”

A statement today said the province would “lessen” the reporting requirements.

Esterby and other non-profit operators said Merriman clarified people are encouraged to file their requirements, but no one will be denied a payment for failing to file.

The ministry has also announced that the first hour of its offices’ operations will be reserved for clients with disabilities or compromised immune systems, though everyone is encouraged to get in touch by phone if possible.