Coordinated community approach, shelter options for encampment residents

With the coordinated support of several community-based, Indigenous and provincial government organizations, the process of removing an encampment on private property at 20th Street and Avenue K South began this morning.

“Encampments are removed because they begin to become unsafe for both the residents living in them and the schools, services, businesses and neighbourhoods around them,” says Deputy Fire Chief Yvonne Raymer.

“Every agency involved in this has the same goal: to ensure people are safe and that they are living in a safe environment,” Raymer says. “We connect people to housing, shelter, health services and other supports as part of addressing the serious safety concerns at the encampment site.”

The partner agencies acknowledge this action is an emotional and complex issue and are determined to approach it with respect and compassion.

Our community has heard a lot of talk in the news and social media that encampments or “Tent Cities” are a reasonable solution to the shelter and housing crisis Saskatoon faces. A few seconds of video on a digital platform often does not tell the full story though.

Encampment sites can present significant fire, sanitation and public safety risks. Safety concerns increase as encampments grow. These concerns are clear and present at encampments and the risk is the same for 20th Street and Avenue K South.

“Since midnight October 5, we’ve been called to four fires at encampments,” Raymer says. “One destroyed a tent and spread to nearby trees in Optimist Park, another, just six hours later, spread to brush and trees in the same park and another in the backyard of a vacant property destroyed a makeshift shelter and damaged a fence and just last night one got out of control in a park off Idylwyld Drive.”

Other activities observed and documented at and very near the site include: possible gang activity, suspected domestic violence, assaults and open drug use.

Encampments where people are living outdoors without access to basic amenities and services are not a long-term housing solution, especially as the weather grows colder and potentially fatal. The City has an important role to play, but lasting solutions require coordinated action among governments, Indigenous organizations, housing providers and community agencies.

Tribal Chief Mark Arcand of the Saskatoon Tribal Council says encampments are too dangerous and he does not support them.

“At the Avenue K site, there’s too much violence and gang activity, including drugs and sex trafficking happening there, and it is spilling out onto our other programs.

“We offer supports at our outdoor washroom project just a block away; we have supportive housing just across the street and we have the Sawēyihtotān outreach program. Some relatives in the encampment had been seeking supports, but in the last few weeks, we have seen an escalation of violence throughout that neighbourhood and seen that relatives who had been interested in supports are now refusing them.

“The real solution is for people to access the supports they need, to get housing, addiction treatment, medical care, and connection to culture, in a safe environment. This won’t happen as long as they are at an encampment. Instead, the most vulnerable relatives will continue to be at risk from the activities occurring there and their cycle will continue.”

The Saskatoon Police Service stresses safety for everyone is top of mind.

“Our Service is committed to working with our partners to ensure we maintain peace and prevent violence,” says Saskatoon Police Chief Cameron McBride. “Officers are tasked with ensuring we assist in an orderly and peaceful transition for residents from the encampment.”

Partner agency supports are available: Before any site response, efforts are made to connect individuals with shelter, housing, transportation and other services.

Today, there are community organizations able to provide social service and sheltering opportunities for anyone at the encampment who wants them and transportation to connect people to these important supports. These organizations include: The Saskatoon Tribal Council - Sawēyihtotān, Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI), Salvation Army caseworkers and the Ministry of Social Services income assistance and housing case workers.

Ministry of Social Services staff will continue to connect with individuals to provide income supports and emergency shelter options. This includes referrals to available shelter spaces, friends and family, detox services or hotels if available shelter spaces did not meet their needs. They will also help make connections with other human service providers and community-based organizations providing services such as mental health and addictions and medical supports.

“We are concerned for the health and safety of everyone living in the encampment, particularly as winter approaches,” says CUMFI President Shirley Isbister.

“While the closure of an encampment is never the complete solution, I’m hopeful that this is an important step in connecting people to housing and supports.

“CUMFI is ready to assist through housing navigation, cultural supports and connections to services that can help them move toward greater stability. We want people to know there are supports available, and they do not have to navigate these challenges alone.”

To reiterate, removing an encampment alone does not solve homelessness. That's why the community response includes outreach, supports and ongoing collaboration with community partners.

While we recognize the challenges people face, we also have an obligation to address significant wider community safety risks and work toward safer, more sustainable alternatives.