Funding in place to keep Regina's temporary shelter open past original closure date

Funding is now in place to keep Regina’s emergency shelter open past the end of the month.

The 50 bed temporary facility was set to close next week. Now, the city and the province have reached an agreement to continue housing the homeless.

T-Dog Standingready, a shelter resident, is thrilled to hear that the shelter will remain open a while longer.

“First time hearing it and I’m happy for that because it’s in a spot where it’s like proper, where you can go to the bank, go and do your business and stuff,” he said.

In a written statement, the City of Regina said that the city and the province “with the co-operation of The Nest and RT/SIS, have made arrangements that will allow the temporary shelter at The Nest to continue its operations past the original closure date of September 30.”

Supports offered at the shelter are changing lives.

“I sobered up so I’ll most likely go to school, take the programs here, finally getting an apartment settled out,” Standingready said.

Many others are still awaiting help like the folks camping outside the YWCA.

“They look down on us because we’re addicts but I’d rather use this, I don’t use fentanyl but I use crystal meth but it helps with my pain but I don’t want to be on that all my entire life,” said a woman CTV News spoke with on Friday.

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Social agencies are helping meet basic needs at the 15 tent encampments. The fire department also does safety checks.

“The main objective is not only to know where they are but so that we can reach out to them to try and keep them as safe as possible,” Regina Fire Marshall, Randy Ryba.

The city did not say how long the temporary shelter at the former YMCA would remain open but the long-range plan is to transition services to a permanent facility.