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Jun 25, 2023

Ministry confirms residents displaced from tent camp moved to Balgonie

"What they've effectively done is relocated people to a place with limited resources and no ability to get back and access the resources they actually need." The Ministry of Social Services confirmed

"What they've effectively done is relocated people to a place with limited resources and no ability to get back and access the resources they actually need."

The Ministry of Social Services confirmed that some people evicted from the tent encampment in front of Regina City Hall on Friday have been provided hotel rooms outside city limits, as an emergency measure.

An emailed statement provided Monday said social services has facilitated shelter placement for 70 individuals since the camp in Regina’s downtown core was notified to dissemble last Thursday, including referrals to “available shelter spaces, friends and family, detox services or hotels.”

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Thirty hotel rooms were booked “over the weekend” in Regina, plus seven more in a motel in Balgonie, Sask., which lies about 30 kilometres east of the city, to house individuals who expressed interest.

More shelter spaces were also added “with shelter providers” in Regina, although the statement does not clarify how many or where.

“Not all rooms were used,” the ministry clarified, adding that usage has “fluctuated day to day” and not all shelter provisions specifically housed individuals from the encampment.

A former volunteer with the camp told CBC Saskatchewan at least five residents have been set up in Balgonie, and the town’s motel confirmed seven rooms had been booked by the ministry.

Minister Gene Makowsky was not made available for an interview on Monday.

Colleen Taylor, with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, said providing accommodations outside Regina may have helped for the weekend, but is a short-sighted, “knee-jerk” solution.

“It’s not anything that’s going to keep them housed beyond a couple of days,” she said.

The ministry’s statement did not offer detail on how long people will be able to stay in the temporarily provided hotel rooms, but according to a ministry-issued policy manual, the short-term emergency benefit used in this situation typically allows for five days at most.

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The benefit, which caps at $500, is meant to fund shelter, food and transportation needs in “emergency situations that are unforeseen and, when failing to do so would result in harm.”

Expenditures can exceed that limit with approval if clients “need more time and additional resources to stabilize and access permanent residence.”

It was not made clear why rooms were secured outside the city limits, or what types of support resources are being offered in tandem with the shelter.

“We will connect people to the emergent and ongoing services they need, including food and shelter, as we work with them to develop plans for longer-term shelter options,” said the ministry email.

Taylor speculated that rooms may have been booked in Balgonie simply because the hotels contracted by social services in Regina were full, but she said the decision still ultimately serves to disconnect people in crisis.

“What they’ve effectively done is relocated people to a place with limited resources and no ability to get back and access the resources they actually need,” said Taylor.

Balgonie to Regina has no direct bus service, and is approximately a six hour walk.

The ministry did advise “all transportation costs” for taxi services to and from the Regina office “to discuss their needs and longer-term shelter options” will be covered.

City hall reopened to the public Monday, following a two-day closure last week as police exercised their power to clear those encamped in front of the building for the last six weeks.

A temporary fence now lines the property, caging in the green spaces of the plaza and around the sides of the building, where more than 80 tents stood just three days ago.

It creates a stark corridor that funnels visitors directly from the main doors to Victoria Avenue, with no access from the east or west sidewalks. “No Trespassing” signs are displayed along the perimeter and security personnel patrolled outside Monday.

The City of Regina said Friday the fence is temporary and will remain for “public safety” until maintenance finishes restoring the space.

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