Local shelter coping well despite elimination of Regina warming bus

A Regina homeless shelter isn’t seeing much more of an increase in demand since the city got rid of its warming bus.

“In a way, the numbers (of people seeking help) did go down a little bit with the (new) shelter, but (for us) it’s kind of averaging out the same since the new shelter went in,” Joseph Bear, the outreach manager at the Awasiw shelter, said Wednesday.

Prior to January, the city had what it called a warming bus stationed outside of high-traffic areas to allow members of Regina’s homeless population to stay warm during the extreme cold.

About 13 to 20 people used it per hour, but in January, the city decided to get rid of it after it helped open a new temporary shelter inside The Nest Health Centre.

“The last couple nights, the numbers did increase because of this cold. (It’s) not so much overcrowding, but the flow was very come and go,” Bear explained. “Our average per night is about 250 to 300 people that come and go through the night.”

While that might seem like a lot of people who are passing through, Bear notes accommodating those people is nothing new for the Awasiw shelter.

“Our team has managed crowds like that from the beginning and we’re kind of used to that,” Bear said. “It’s a little bit of pressure, but it’s nothing we couldn’t handle. We’ve got a great team here.”

The City of Regina released a statement on Wednesday about the possibility of bringing back the warming bus.

The statement said the city remains in regular contact with organizations offering support to those experiencing houselessness. Capacity issues are regularly discussed, but at this time, it doesn’t feel there is a need to reinstate the bus.

Bear reiterated that shelter officials will continue to help people where they can.

“We’re going to continue to help out the community,” he said. “Our No. 1 goal is to help the homeless and anyone who needs the help.”