Regina council to discuss permanent emergency shelter on Halifax St.

The question of where to place a permanent emergency shelter will once again be brought to City Hall in Regina.

At next Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, city council is scheduled to discuss the potential approval of a lease for a property listed at 1600 Halifax St.

According to the meeting’s agenda, the city would authorize the deputy manager or other designate to negotiate a deal with the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation to borrow $3 million for a forgivable loan.

The recommendation also posits that Regina Treaty/Status Indian Service Inc. (RT/SIS) operate the shelter, and that council approve the property to be transferred at “less than fair” market price.

The property at 1600 Halifax is currently the location for the Regina Eagles Club. 980 CJME has learned that the property has been sold and the Eagles will vacate the property by Nov. 15.

City council voted against the purchase of properties at 1440 and 1420 Albert St. for the emergency shelter in June.

Coun. Lori Bresciani voiced concerns about the location of those properties at the time, saying privacy issues could arise from the shelter being on one of Regina’s busiest streets.

“Where’s the dignity and humility for those individuals?” she asked during June’s meeting.

The city’s lease with the Nest Health Centre on 13th Avenue is set to expire next summer. The Nest has been operating as the city’s temporary shelter and currently has about 55 beds.

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