Homelessness advocate concerned about new revitalization projects

With five new recreation projects being considered in Regina, one advocate is concerned the City of Regina’s catalyst committee is not taking the growing numbers of homeless people into serious consideration.

Alysia Johnson, an advocate with Rally Around Homelessness, is frustrated seeing large amounts of money being considered for the recreation complex projects when there are many people on the streets.

“Nobody is against recreation facilities. We just don’t think that this is the (right) time. We have bigger fish to fry,” said Johnson.

The catalyst committee, which is in charge of public consultations on the recreational projects, has conducted feedback sessions to involve the public. They began on Monday and will conclude Thursday, with discussions about five different recreation facility projects aiming to revitalize Regina.

The committee received criticisms that it should also take into account social issues that exist. Johnson shared these concerns.

“I don’t think that decision-makers get it,” she said. “I think that they just think these are numbers on paper. But if you talk to people in the community, we feel this at every level.”

Johnson said it is difficult to measure homelessness in the city because people are rapidly dying. Johnson, who volunteered at Camp Hope last fall, said one in five people who lived in the tent city have died.

People who do not make it to shelters for the evening or are “couch-surfing” at different people’s homes do not often qualify for the headcount.

“Homelessness is much greater than what we can see on the ground,” said Johnson.

Bob Hawkins, a city councillor and co-chair of the catalyst committee, explained the recreation projects and social issues could all improve with development.

“These projects have a ripple effect that will help create neighbourhoods (and) create housing,” said Hawkins. “So I think there was an attempt to see that the social issues that were raised, and the recreational creation issues that were raised, are connected, and that’s something we are going to go away and think about hard.”

Johnson says the ripple effects won’t be enough to make a substantial change to the current state of homelessness. The only way to help is by “tackling homelessness head on.”

“We can’t spend tens of millions of dollars on buildings and expect that to give folks wraparound support that are the barrier right now for them to maintain stable housing,” said Johnson.

Hawkins also explained there is an obligation to balance many of the competing priorities to developing and improving the city.

“Could you imagine a city that didn’t have a good arena, a good pool (and) a good library for its young people, and for all its citizens? I can’t. And could you imagine a city that didn’t care about homelessness, about drug addiction, about poverty? I think that would be a terrible city too,” said Hawkins.

“So we have to find a middle way to advance both of these sets of ideas. I think we are going to do it. It won’t be easy, but that’s our job.”

The catalyst committee also pointed out it needs to act quickly so it can qualify for federal and provincial grants.

Johnson said having spoken with ER workers and teachers who have dealt with homelessness in their emergency rooms and classrooms, homelessness is a problem that needs to be tackled now because it’s affecting every sector.

“When payments aren’t going directly to the landlord, we don’t have an anchor piece to secure that roof,” said Johnson. “People get behind. They get evicted. A new tenant comes in. Rent gets behind. They get evicted. Round and round we go.

“There is no stability for anyone and it’s a total game of musical chairs now.”

Johnson is encouraging others to voice concerns they may have over any of the projects.

“I think that’s a decision the community has to make. To me, it’s a really easy answer,” said Johnson. “Reginians have voice in pre-budget surveys, and they have been saying for some time now that community safety and well-being — that includes homelessness — is the top priority right now.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an amended version of this story, correcting the wording of a quote.