A homeless camp next to a business in Prince Albert. (file photo/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Shelter expansion

Prince Albert Shelter bed numbers expanded again

Oct 17, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The number of beds at the Stepping Stones Shelter will now number 45, an increase of five beds from the original permit application last week.

In 2022, there were 30 beds, which was not nearly enough.

“In terms of the bed space last year, [it was] totally insufficient for our city,” said Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp during Monday’s regular meeting. “People were turned away as a common practice quite sadly. People were invited to warm up in the foyer but then turned away to be back in the cold.”

She said that she suspects even 45 beds is not enough to accommodate the need.

Part of the commitment is that they supply security for the Dave Steuart Arena and Exhibition grounds as required.

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Recently, the province announced its first homeless strategy which is supposed to provide permanent funding.

Prince Albert has had some shelters for specific groups like women and children or for teens for some time, but in 2020, the YWCA was able to get a pandemic grant and open up during the winter nights at the Exhibition grounds under the grandstand.

Since then, it has been an annual attempt by local organizations to re-start the shelter with a new application for funding while also running their regular programming and advocating for a longer term plan.

The province’s announcement promises the money will continue every year rather than having to start from scratch every year.

That was welcome news to city council, which has been part of the push for more permanent funding and has just hired a new community safety and well-being co-ordinator.

Planning manager Craig Guidinger said that working on the homeless population issue is at the top of her to-do list.

“Finding a permanent shelter location so that this can be the final year of something temporary is a priority of the mayor’s office, city council I know, and certainly the administration,” said Guidinger.

The city is already looking for the best location for the permanent shelter and says the funding is already in place.

Coun. Blake Edwards said that another plan that needs to happen is helping people who are not from Prince Albert but are stuck here find a way back home.

“I do hope part of the responsibly is talking with other communities to see how we can work with people to find their way back home,” he said.

“Many of the people that are homeless or are in the homeless shelters in Prince Albert have never, ever had an address in Prince Albert and many of them want to return home.”

Mayor Greg Dionne said he thinks part of the issue is the lack of public transportation so people are limited in the ways they can return to their communities, especially if they are homeless or unemployed.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com