March 28, 2020
The Star Phoenix
Saskatchewan
Zak Vescera
Non-profits say homeless relief efforts are ‘hamstrung’ by gov’t inaction
Saskatoon non-profits say the provincial government’s response to help the city’s homeless in the COVID-19 pandemic has been mired in bureaucracy and mixed messaging.
“We need aggressive timelines and we need staff in place,” said AIDS Saskatoon director Jason Mercredi. “We asked for it two weeks ago.”
Non-profits say they’ve spent two weeks lobbying for a dedicated hotel to house homeless people who need to self-isolate, and funding for emergency shelters for people who are healthy, but have no shelter.