The Government of Saskatchewan is providing an additional $3 million in annual funding to provide drop-in homelessness services 365 days per year for people who need it in Saskatoon.
“Our government is responding to rising needs in Saskatoon by providing predictable and consistent annual funding and continuity of year-round service delivery to support people experiencing homelessness,” Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said. “Annual funding will also support better coordination between the Province, City of Saskatoon, and Indigenous and community partners as we continue to tackle this very complex issue together.”
The Ministry of Social Services and the City of Saskatoon will work together to identify the specific needs of the community and allocate funding to service providers to deliver those services, ensuring they are in place for this winter.
“This commitment to stable, year-round funding is a vital step forward in addressing homelessness in our city,” Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block said. “Consistent support means we can better meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents—not just in times of crisis, but every day of the year. While this funding supports critical drop-in services, it also reinforces the importance of working together, across all orders of government and with community partners, toward the broader goal of ensuring everyone in Saskatoon has a safe place to call home.”
This funding is in addition to new services established through the Provincial Approach to Homelessness (PATH) investment of $40.2 million in 2023. Since then, government has collaborated with partners to deliver on PATH commitments across the province to create:
- 155 new supportive housing spaces;
- 141 new enhanced emergency shelter spaces;
- 30 new complex needs emergency shelter spaces; and
- new street outreach and community safety responses.