Public Information Meeting October 22, 2008

Over the last eight months, the Salvation Army Community Centre has been hard at work trying to start a women's homeless shelter in Saskatoon. For many years our Emergency After Hours workers have been fielding calls from women and children at risk after the Ministry of Social Services closes at night. Sometimes people just need to talk, other times they need an emergency food hamper to get them through a tough time or even some diapers. An increasing amount of phone calls have to do with women and families needing emergency shelter. In 2007 we used 1141 hotel rooms to house women and children and in 2008 there has been an even greater demand.

Since late 2006, Saskatoon has seen a large economic expansion with a lot of new jobs and new growth. This has both driven up rents and driven down occupancy. The end result is that more people need emergency housing, especially during the winter months. The current long-term shelter, the YWCA has been full for the last couple of years and has to refer hundreds and hundreds of people to us. Other more situation specific shelters have experienced the same kind of increase in occupancy. Until early 2007 we were able to manage by using those shelters and hotel rooms in emergencies. This works many nights but anytime there is a concert, a major convention, hockey tournaments, or an increase in seasonal tourism traffic, we often find that there is no available hotel rooms within the city or surrounding areas.

To help provide a better solution than hotel rooms, with the help of the Government of Canada and the Ministry of Social Services, the Salvation Army has placed a conditional offer on a large house on the corner of Avenue D and 34th Street that would be able to hold 12 families comfortably for short term stays (generally a couple of nights). Clients would have their own room and there would be two full time security/caseworkers on duty 24/7/365 to assist both the clients and to ensure the neighborhood is safe

The offer is conditional on having the zoning changed which is why we are inviting you to a community meeting to talk with us about this. Anyone is invited and we would love to hear your feedback.

The meeting is October 22nd, 2008 at Mayfair Library from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Official Website: http://www.salvationarmysaskatoon.org/blog/2008/10/community-meeting-on-october-22nd-2008.html