Interim emergency shelter 'consistently full' with waitlist: City of Regina

The interim emergency shelter where residents of a former tent village were relocated has been full with a long waitlist since it opened on Nov. 15, a report created by the City of Regina shows.

“Daily reports indicate the shelter is consistently full and there is a waitlist of approximately 20 persons,” the report, which is scheduled to be presented to City Council on Wednesday, reads. “As a result, the Ministry of Social Services and Mobile Crisis are referring new clients to other shelter locations and using hotel rooms as a final resort.”

There are 40 beds in the shelter which provides food, showers and social support for the people who are staying there. The report said all people entering the shelter must take a rapid COVID-19 test.

According the the city report, interim shelter costs are funded by the City of Regina and the Ministry of Social Services, in partnership with Regina Treaty Status Indian Services.

The report says the city has spent a total of $134,000 on the shelter so far: $66,000 to lease the building for six months, $38,000 to prepare the facility and $30,000 for utilities.

In addition, $14,500 was spent on transit buses that were used as warming shelter while the tent village was still operating and to transport residents to the shelter.

The city report said it will continue to support the shelter in the coming weeks and months, but it is also working with community partners to prioritize resources and work toward long-term solutions.

More details to come...