Addition of $665K in funding will keep Regina emergency shelter open 5 more months, province says

Regina’s 40-bed emergency shelter will remain open for an additional five months, due to renewed operational funding from the ministry of social services.

The Gathering Place: New Beginnings Centre, which was originally funded until the end of April, received a $665,000 investment, according to a news release from the province.

The funding will allow Regina Treaty and Status Indian Services (RT/SIS) to extend operations at the shelter while work continues on finding long-term solutions for Regina’s emergency shelter needs.

“[The centre] has been an incredible resource for people without housing during the winter months, and although the weather is slowly getting warmer, we still see a need for additional emergency wellness centre spaces in Regina,” Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said in the release.

The shelter provides support, three daily meals, and programming to those in need, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“RT/SIS is committed to providing client-focused programs and services these individuals require to move forward not only with sustainable housing but with their overall well-being,” RT/SIS Executive Director Erica Beaudin said in the release.

In November of 2022, the provincial government provided $1.7 million toward emergency shelter spaces across Saskatchewan for the winter months. Since then, 83 new temporary emergency shelter spaces have been created.

The Gathering Place: New Beginnings was officially opened in January, 2023 as a partnership between the provincial government, RT/SIS, and the City of Regina.