Four Regina city councillors look to declare a 'houselessness emergency'
A group of four Regina city councillors are putting forward a motion to declare a "houselessness emergency" at its next meeting.
City Councillors Shanon Zachidniak, Cheryl Stadnichuk, Andrew Stevens and Dan LeBlanc are set to submit the notice of motion.
“The houselessness crisis requires immediate action before winter to provide safe, barrier-free shelter to those experiencing houselessness in our community,” the motion reads.
According to the proposed motion – the City of Regina has seen a 110 per cent increase in the point-in-time homelessness count in 2021 (488) from the first count in 2015 (232) and 71 per cent in 2018 (286).
In the motion, the councillors call on the provincial and federal governments to provide emergency funding to address the crisis.
City administration would be directed to create a plan by the end of Q3 of 2023 to provide temporary barrier-free shelter for all Regina residents in need “with the opportunity to provide input from the houseless, Indigenous leaders and local organizations working in mental health, addictions, and housing,” the motion says.
The councillors also demand that the City of Regina makes a long-term commitment to addressing houselessness as part of the 2024 budget process while also calling on the province and federal government to collaborate over the long term.
Lastly, the motion outlined procedures for the city to address encampments which include issuing written safety checklists to help ensure residents are compliant and stating that encampments can only be dismantled for safety reasons if a documented pattern of unwillingness to address multiple safety concerns can be demonstrated in writing to the encampment residents and city council.
The motion follows an eventful summer that saw encampments across Regina be dismantled – most notably in front of city hall itself.
Councillors Leblanc and Stevens were previously involved in a lawsuit against city manager Niki Anderson to include funding to end homelessness in the proposed 2023/24 city budget.
The notice of motion is set to be submitted to the city clerk when council meets on Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Smith tells Trudeau Alberta will opt out of federal dental plan
Alberta is opting out of the federal dental plan, the premier told the Canadian government late Tuesday afternoon.
One of Canada's most popular vehicles recalled over transmission issue; 95,000 impacted
One of the country's most popular vehicles is being recalled in Canada due to a transmission issue that may impact tens of thousands of drivers.
WikiLeaks' Assange pleads guilty in deal with U.S. that secures his freedom, ends legal fight
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that secures his liberty and concludes a drawn-out legal saga that raised divisive questions about press freedom and national security.
'We need to regroup,' says Liberal minister and Ontario campaign co-chair in light of byelection loss
A member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet and the party's Ontario co-chair for the next campaign says the Liberals 'need to regroup' after a shocking overnight byelection loss to Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives.
Pre-med students can't take MCAT in Quebec because of Bill 96
Areeba Ahmed says she's always dreamed of becoming a surgeon but her road to the operating room has become a complicated one ever since Quebec's French language law came into effect.
Protesters try to topple Queen Victoria statue near pro-Palestinian encampment in Montreal
Montreal police were called to intervene after protesters attempted to tear down the Queen Victoria statue at Victoria Square.
Cup Noodles serves up notoriously poisonous pufferfish
Pufferfish is regarded as a luxury in Japan and a meal featuring the potentially poisonous delicacy can easily cost up to 20,000 yen (US$125) at high-end restaurants.
'Truly a great British Columbian': Former B.C. premier John Horgan has cancer again
Former B.C. premier and current Canadian ambassador to Germany John Horgan has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
New experience in Halifax gets people up close and personal to the ocean's most feared predator
Atlantic Shark Expeditions launched a new shark cage experience which gives brave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the oceans most feared predator.