New shelter will take in intoxicated homeless
Homeless people who are intoxicated in Saskatoon now have 20 more beds to sleep in, thanks to a new downtown facility.
The stabilization shelter at the Lighthouse will offer a safe place for men and women who are drunk or high, but don’t need to be incarcerated, taken to emergency services or watched by a health official at the health region’s Brief and Social Detox Unit.
“They’re needing a warm place to be, a nice quiet place to sleep. They’re needing, maybe, a shower. They’re needing some food in the morning. They’re needing some watchful eyes to make sure that they’re OK,” Tracy Muggli, Saskatoon Health Region mental health and addiction services director, said at the shelter’s grand opening Wednesday.
“They don’t need the chaos of the emergency department or detention cells to make them feel like (being intoxicated is) a criminalized thing. They’re homeless. They need a roof over their head and a place to be safe.”
The Lighthouse already provides affordable housing, emergency shelter and supportive living services in downtown Saskatoon, but its existing men’s and women’s shelters do not serve those who are intoxicated.
The stabilization shelter, which will operate alongside the existing shelters, will have two staff members with emergency medical responder training monitoring a single 20-bed room that will house both men and women. The room is equipped with movable walls so it can be divided depending on the number of men and women in the shelter.
“Essentially the stabilization unit is set up for an overnight stay. However … the intention is to be able to connect (homeless people) with longer-term housing,” Lighthouse director of client services Dennis Bueckert said.
The health region’s detox unit, located on Saskatoon’s west side, only has 12 beds. Muggli said a shelter in Saskatoon for intoxicated people will free up the beds for people who also need medical assistance.
“This is certainly long overdue. We know people have been ending up in our detox centre or in detention cells unnecessarily for a long time,” Muggli said.
Saskatoon police Chief Clive Weighill said the shelter will significantly reduce the number of people who are locked up at the police station because they are intoxicated.
“This is going to make a real difference to our line of work, there’s no doubt about that. It could mean up to two or three thousand fewer people coming into our detention cells at the Saskatoon Police Service,” Weighill said.
“The reason they were in our cells was not criminal activity. It was because of health issues, either substance abuse issues or mental health issues. We really, really believe this is a positive step for our community.”
The Lighthouse recently renovated its kitchen, office and cafeteria, and upgraded its furnishings, equipment and security system thanks to a $595,000 grant from the federal government’s Homeless Partnering Strategy program.
The stabilization shelter will receive $200,000 for its first year of operations and $198,848 to renovate a permanent space from the HPS program.
The Saskatoon Health Region and the Saskatoon Police Service are also providing some financial support to the shelter, Bueckert said.