Proposed lot for the future homeless shelter on 17th Street West. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

By Dawson Thompson

crucial services

Proposed homeless shelter for P.A.’s West Flat

Jun 29, 2021 | 5:00 PM

A proposal for a new homeless shelter in the city is in the works and will be brought to city council this fall, according to the proponents. It’s part of an ambitious plan to provide further housing opportunities.

The company behind the idea, Fred Allen Developments of Regina, is proposing to build the shelter on 1015 17th Street West, in the west flat area. That lot is currently vacant.

The company will seek rezoning from the city in September, and will then offer their concept.

“A year ago we came to Prince Albert, and met with homeless people here, ” Eddie Fisher a project manager with Fred Allen Developments told paNOW. ” We asked them where do you go for services, where are you from and they told us they don’t have a place to sleep.”

The shelter would have a total of 28 rooms, with 20 beds. The other eight rooms will include two bathrooms, two shower rooms, laundry rooms, an Indigenous spiritual room, a prayer room, and offices.

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The plan to develop the area will be in separate phases, over the next five years, Fisher said. The shelter will be in stage one and will be the first building constructed.

The rest of the phases will include the construction of affordable housing in the area.

“The shelter will be where they get their basic needs met. Food, water, clothing. You got to meet the basics,” Fisher said. “Once they are feeling better spiritually, mentally, physically they can move into one of our units.”

He explained the shelter will be a room and board scenario, meaning people can stay at the shelter for a couple of months, and won’t be a ‘come and go’ shelter. Also, it will not have a specific target of clients. It will be available for all sexes and all ages.

A fundraising gala at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre is being planned for this September with more details about this event to come later in the summer.

The City of Prince Albert told paNOW they have not received an application for this particular property, but they would review it once it’s been submitted.

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Dawson.thompson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @dawsonthompson8