They wanted a ticket to BC, and they got it.
That is how the Ministry of Social Services has dealt with two homeless men from Saskatchewan who landed in Vancouver on Mar. 9 to a hail of media attention.
The biggest question among the media firestorm was what good did the Saskatchewan government do sending these men to BC?
Vancouver city councillors called the move inhumane to send two men with medical issues; one has epilepsy, no home, and no plan, out to a province they have no connection to.
One of the men’s mothers, and the shelter manager both said the government was setting the men up to fail. The mother was very concerned about her son’s health concerns as well, which was not taken into consideration before the man left.
Beyond all the facts of the mens’ case, this sets a bad precedent for the rest of Saskatchewan’s homeless.
You can look at the situation one of two ways; either that the government passes on the homeless to other provinces or homeless people in Saskatchewan have the same opportunity to go anywhere in the country on Saskatchewan’s dollar.
All together, the government spent $422.60 on the men’s bus tickets. Could that money have been spent in a better way to help the two men?
Funding changes for homeless shelters has made keeping shelters open very difficult.
General Manager, Caitlin Glencross, announced in February that the Battleford Lighthouse is facing closure because of these new changes.
What does this do to help Saskatchewan’s homeless?
The Lighthouse in Saskatoon had to cut their daytime hours at the beginning of February because of funding changes leaving Saskatoon’s homeless with no where to go in the daytime hours.
Homeless have to pay to stay as well, said Lighthouse communications director, DeeAnn Mercier, in an interview with CBC. When people do not have the money, they apply for funding to stay. The Saskatchewan government has denied 50 per cent of requests for shelter funding, says Mercier.
One of the men who got one of the tickets was one of these people denied funding for his shelter stays.
What this looks like is the government sending vulnerable people away.
Because this is something that the men wanted, it makes the situation look a little differently.
Does the government not have the funds to make sure shelters have adequate funding but can afford to send any homeless person to another province?
Number of people estimated to be (Saskatoon):
Living on the streets: 72 (+2 children) (2012)
Living in emergency shelters, motels or transitional housing: 269 (+9 children) (2012)
Spend night with friends: 27 (2012)
Living in core housing need: 34,000 (est.) (2011)
Number of people estimated to be (Regina):
Living on the streets: 28 (2015)
Living in emergency shelters: 126 (2015)
Living in transitional housing: 62 (2015)
Staying at a detox centre: 16 (2015)
Living in core housing need: 30,000 (2007)
Number of people estimated to be (Prince Albert):
Living on the streets: 70 (est.) (2007)
Living in emergency shelters: 100 (est.) (2007)
Living in housing with supports: 80 (est.) (2007)
Living in a state of ‘hidden homelessness’: 600 (est.) (2007)
At risk of homelessness: 700 (est.) (2007)
-Homeless Hub: http://homelesshub.ca/community-profiles/saskatchewan/saskatoon
