Organizations and community members gathered in Prince Albert on Friday to discuss the rise in homelessness.
The number of people without a home in the city has nearly doubled since 2022.
The River Bank Development Corporation held the community meeting to discuss the results of the Point-in-Time (PiT) count for homelessness conducted in October of last year.
“I think the intent with having these public conversations is to help folks have the opportunity to ask questions or learn about the information,” said Diana Rodas, project manager for River Bank Development Corporation.
PiT count volunteer Daphne Masih works with the organization Communities Building Youth Futures.
“In order for us to complete our work to make sure the future is brighter for our youth, being part of something like this and getting data was important for us and our youth,” said Masih.
The meeting was held at the Prince Albert Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, a location where the public can access social supports.
“It is really a hub for folks,” said Rodas. “That is something that we’re always trying to work on, how we can get people experiencing homelessness to come here, and feel welcome.”
The results showed that nearly 70 per cent of respondents reported having a mental illness and around 80 per cent reported struggling with substance use.
“I’m a foster parent as well,” said Masih. “I was quite shocked at how many people were in care that were on the streets. And, and I’ve had over 30 kids. And to some to know that 50 per cent of them could be or some number of them could be on the streets is huge.”
The majority of 170 respondents surveyed on transportation reported being stranded in Prince Albert due to lack of transportation.
Rodas had a reminder for the public.
“I’d just advise folks to remember that everyone’s a person and it’s up to everyone’s choice when they decide to seek support, or they decide to seek the shelter.”
The results indicate that finances were most frequently reported by respondents as a barrier to obtaining housing. All data was collected as reported by volunteers.
