City of Regina works with North Central Family Centre on rapid housing project
Summer weather has brought an increase in the number of people living on the streets of Regina. Tents have been popping up near the downtown as agencies search for housing.
Derek and Chrissy have been living in Regina for over a decade. They have fallen on hard times and are living on the street.
“I’ve been beaten up on the street twice. I can’t get into the shelter. I can’t find a home,” Chrissy told CTV News.
“We got robbed five times already and, you know, they take everything,” Derek said.
They are part of a growing number of people with nowhere to live. Tents are popping up in several places in the Heritage Neighbourhood. Shylo Stevenson, director of The Comeback Society, says the situation is becoming more visible.
(Wayne Mantyka / CTV News)
“There are supports and services in place but one of the biggest barriers that our relatives on the street face is obtaining identification and so with ID, the lack of support to get ID is one of the biggest barriers for them to get into supportive living,” he explained.
A rendering of the new rapid housing complex. (Wayne Mantyka / CTV News)
There is temporary help at shelters and the city is working on another rapid housing project. It has partnered with the federal government and the North Central Family Centre to build a complex at 5th Avenue and Angus Street.
Kim Wenger, executive director of the North Central Family Centre, said the complex would have programming and support services.
“We’ll be moving our housing and outreach team over there, along with our youth employment program but we’ll also be looking to partner with various organizations throughout the city who are doing great work as well to offer cultural programming, supportive programming, or counselling.”
Social Services provides emergency housing but many end up back on the street. Until more supportive housing comes online, the situation continues.
The project is anticipated to be completed in late 2024, according to the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Moneris says systems back online after users across Canada report outages affecting debit, credit payments
The payment processing company Moneris says it has resolved an outage that appeared to affect debit and credit transactions across the country.
A Black student was suspended for his hairstyle. Now his family is suing Texas officials
The family of a Black high school student in Texas who was suspended over his dreadlocks filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Saturday against the state's governor and attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce a new law outlawing discrimination based on hairstyles.
Manitoba could make history by electing first First Nations premier to lead province
A First Nations premier would head a province for the first time in Canadian history if the New Democrats win the Oct. 3 Manitoba election, and the significance is not lost on party leader Wab Kinew.
Canadian senators call for international student program reforms to address 'empty promises,' 'stagnant' funding
A group of Canadian senators is proposing a series of reforms to the country's international student program that include ways of protecting newcomers from fraud and abuse, as well as greater regulations and penalties for recruiters and educational institutions.
B.C. Mountie's death reverberates across law enforcement community
The death of a Metro Vancouver RCMP officer who was shot dead while executing a search warrant is reverberating with law enforcement officials across the country.
Smoke prevents Yellowknife from holding welcome home celebration
Smoke has forced Yellowknife to cancel a celebration marking the return of residents to the city after a wildfires-prompted evacuation that lasted for weeks.
Ford offers Unifor wage increases up to 25 per cent
Ford Motor has offered Canadian union Unifor wage increases of up to 25 per cent in its tentative agreement, the union said on Saturday. The agreement provides a 10 per cent wage increase for the first year followed by increases of two per cent and three per cent through the second and third year and a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to all employees on the active roll of the company, Unifor said.
Aid shipments and evacuations as Azerbaijan reasserts control over breakaway province
More badly needed humanitarian aid was on its way to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh via both Azerbaijan and Armenia on Saturday. The development comes days after Baku reclaimed control of the province and began talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area, prompting some residents to flee their homes for fear of reprisals.
Why is Brampton rent surging 3 times faster than every other city in Canada?
Rent in Brampton shot up three times faster over the last year than the national average in Canada, according to a rental report.