April 6, 2004

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SASKATOON, SK – Approval of the Saskatoon Community Plan on Homelessness and an allocation of more than $3.45 million through the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative (NHI) was announced today by Ralph Goodale, Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Wascana, on behalf of the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for Homelessness. Minister Goodale also announced NHI funding for two projects under the updated Community Plan. Participating in today’s announcement with Minister Goodale was Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison.

“The community plan has been developed by the community, for the community, and builds on the good work, lessons learned, strong relationships and significant success of the first three years of the National Homelessness Initiative,” said Minister Goodale. “The Government of Canada congratulates the community of Saskatoon on its dedication in fighting homelessness, and is proud to be a partner in that fight.”

Mayor Don Atchison thanked the Federal Government for their partnership and financial support toward a growing issue. "Housing is a community issue, and the whole community must be committed to taking action," Mayor Atchison said. "With our partners, the City of Saskatoon has maintained a leadership role in building capacity in the community to tackle housing needs.”

The NHI funding announced today includes three-year allocations of $1.2 million through the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative and $2.25 million under the Urban Aboriginal Homelessness component.

Implementation of the Community Action Plan on Homelessness and Housing will be led by the Saskatoon Community Partnerships Committee to address the priority areas of transitional, supportive and preventative services by focusing on building the capacity of the community and ensuring the necessary support services exist for the homeless or at-risk population. During the first three years of the NHI, the Saskatoon Community Plan focused mainly on emergency shelters projects. The updated plan places priority on transitional, supportive and preventative services, including long-term transitional housing options. The Community Plan is the community’s vision of how best to help homeless individuals and families. The plan is a product of a consultative process involving all stakeholders interested in addressing homelessness in Saskatoon. The consultation process included sessions with community stakeholders, partners, residents, and service providers, as well as interviews with homeless individuals. Through these consultations, the community identified assets, gaps and priorities that meet local requirements to both prevent and reduce homelessness.

Two projects are receiving funding under the community plan. The Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Program (SHIP) will receive $50,000 to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a single room occupancy residence in Saskatoon. Single room occupancy residences typically provide short- to medium-term housing solutions for homeless individuals who are typically single, with no or low income. The need for a single room occupancy residence in Saskatoon was identified during the community consultations that formed the basis of the updated Community Plan, and is one of the twelve priorities the community identified for action.

Crocus Co-Operative will receive $31,150 to enhance support services to its members by engaging a consultant through the Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP), computerizing the Transitional Employment Program, and purchasing a 15-passenger van that will be used by the Transitional Employment Program. During the public consultation process that formed the basis of the updated Community Plan, the community recognized that as a result of their mental illnesses many members of the Crocus Co-operative are often marginalized, live in sub-standard housing, and are at greater risk of becoming homeless. Programs and services that support mentally ill residents in the community, such as those provided by Crocus Co-operative, were identified as a key element of the community’s efforts to prevent and alleviate homelessness in Saskatoon. These programs and services support people in becoming less isolated and marginalized and in moving toward greater self-sufficiency, thereby reducing their risk of becoming homeless.

By working in partnership with community organizations, the private and voluntary sectors and other levels of government, the National Homelessness Initiative is bringing all stakeholders together to develop local solutions that work to address particular needs and challenges faced by homeless people.

The Government of Canada launched the NHI in December 1999 to support communities’ efforts to help Canadians out of homelessness. Over $1 billion is being spent towards the federal government’s commitment to addressing homelessness in Canada. Since the NHI was launched, the Government of Canada has invested over $14 million through more than 80 projects to fight homelessness in Saskatchewan.

Funding for the Community Plan and projects was provided for in the 2004 Federal Budget.

Since December 1999, communities across Canada have undertaken over 1,800 projects, funded wholly or in part by the National Homelessness Initiative. These projects will result in: The creation of approximately 8,000 new, permanent beds in shelters, transitional, and supportive houses; The construction, renovation, and enhancement of roughly 1000 sheltering facilities and support facilities, such as food banks, soup kitchens and drop-in centres; The transfer of 50 federal surplus properties worth over $9 million, which will result in the creation of 214 transitional and affordable housing units; and In addition to the Government of Canada investment, partnerships have leveraged over a half billion dollars towards the implementation of homelessness projects in Canada.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative, visit our web site at www.homelessness.gc.ca

For more information on the Saskatoon Community Plan on Homelessness and Housing and about the initial phase of the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative in Saskatchewan, please see the attached backgrounders. The Community Plan is also available at http://www.shipweb.org/

For more information, contact:

Government of Canada:

BACKGROUNDER: SASKATOON COMMUNITY PLAN ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING

During the first phase of the NHI, the Saskatoon Community Plan focused mainly on emergency shelter projects. The updated Plan places priority on transitional, supportive and preventative services, including long-term transitional housing options. The Plan is a product of a consultative process involving all stakeholders interested in addressing homelessness in Saskatoon. The community identified assets, gaps and priorities that meet local requirements to both prevent and reduce homelessness. By working in partnership with community organizations, the private and voluntary sectors and other levels of government, the National Homelessness Initiative is bringing all stakeholders together to develop local solutions that work to address particular needs and challenges faced by homeless people. The Saskatoon Community Plan on Homelessness and Housing captures the priorities for action identified through extensive community consultations. These include:

• Coordinated supports/resource centre • Community infrastructure for core revitalization • Co-housing for youth • Culturally-supportive Aboriginal housing • Long-term supportive housing for special needs populations • Affordable family rental • Single room occupancy residence • Supportive housing for physically disabled individuals • Balanced affordability across neighbourhoods • Housing standards • Rent-geared-to-income seniors housing • Sustaining existing housing/programs

Saskatoon Homelessness Advisory Committee The implementation of the Community Plan on Homelessness and Housing will be led by the Saskatoon Homelessness Advisory Committee. The Committee is made up of the following members:

• Lorne Sully, Manager, City Planning, City of Saskatoon • Roger Parent, Development Officer, Metis Nation of Saskatchewan • Jim Wasilenko, General Manager, Saskatoon Housing Authority • Robb Watts, Manager, Programs, Operations and Programs, Department of Community Resources and Employment • Jo-Ann Coleman-Pidskalny, Executive Director, Saskatoon Housing Coalition • Barry Downs, General Manager, Cress Housing Corporation • Major Wayne McDonough, Salvation Army Community Centre

BACKGROUNDER: SASKATOON HOUSING INITIATIVES PARTNERSHIP

The Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) is a non-profit organization formed by a group of individuals from the private, public, and non-profit sectors concerned about affordable housing in Saskatoon. SHIP was formed to enhance housing affordability to low and moderate-income households and encourage greater community cooperation and involvement in meeting the wide range of affordable housing needs in Saskatoon. SHIP also includes the issue of homelessness among its concerns. SHIP’s mission is to raise, direct, and support long-term investment in affordable housing and foster creative housing solutions.

SHIP will receive $50,000 through the National Homelessness Initiative to conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of a single room occupancy residence in Saskatoon to provide short- to medium-term housing solutions for homeless individuals who are typically single, with no or low income.

A single room occupancy facility was identified as a priority by the community during the public consultation process that formed the basis of the updated Saskatoon Community Plan on Homelessness and Housing. SHIP will draw on its knowledge of housing issues, and the knowledge base of its contacts and membership to coordinate the feasibility study on behalf of the community.

BACKGROUNDER: CROCUS CO-OPERATIVE

Crocus Co-operative was established over 20 years ago by a number of agencies serving clients with mentally illnesses. As a cooperative, Crocus provides its members (approximately 130 Saskatoon residents) with a number of services, including: • Drop-in • Counselling • Food services • Transitional Employment Program (labour exchange)

During the public consultation process that formed the basis of the updated Saskatoon Community Plan on Homelessness and Housing, the community recognized that as a result of their mental illnesses, many members of the Crocus Co-operative are often marginalized, live in sub-standard housing, and are at greater risk of becoming homeless. Programs and services that support mentally ill residents in the community, such as those provided by Crocus Co-operative, were identified as a key element of the community’s efforts to prevent and alleviate homelessness in Saskatoon by supporting people in becoming less isolated and marginalized and to move toward greater self-sufficiency and thereby reducing their risk of becoming homeless.

Crocus Co-operative will receive $31,150 through the National Homelessness Initiative to enhance the organization’s capacity to provide support services to its members by: • Engaging a consultant through the Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP); • Computerizing the Transitional Employment Program; and, • Purchasing a 15-passenger van which will be used by the Transitional Employment Program.