Canada – Current Situation and Solutions From Other Communities – Homelessness in Regina

Introduction:

The objectives of the report are to provide an overview of the city’s housing and homelessness situation (e.g., available housing, number of homeless individuals, barriers that homeless individuals face, and available support services) and to examine successful housing strategies of other municipalities. With a 1.9% vacancy rate and a lack of adequate and affordable housing Regina are in the midst of the housing crisis. Although data on the cities homeless is incomplete, a research report published in 2010 indicates that approximately 4 500 unique individuals use an emergency or transitional shelter during a year. When we consider the hidden homeless the number of homeless individuals may be two to three times greater than the actual count.

This report has three main goals:

 To identify and present statistics on the current homelessness crisis in Regina;

 To outline housing initiatives and life skills programs within the city that help individuals who face multiple barriers to housing; and

 To present best-practices implemented by organizations in other communities in order to help homeless and hard-to-house individuals escape repetitive homelessness.

Homelessness as a Problem:

Citizens of Regina and the city’s community organizations are dealing with two major housing related problems. The first problem is general lack of housing. The second problem is lack of adequate housing. Both of these problems may lead to homelessness. At present there is no universal definition of homelessness amongst advocates, researchers and policy makers. The Canadian Homelessness Research Network defines homelessness as:

“the situation of an individual or family without stable, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it. It is the result of systematic or societal barriers, a lack of affordable and appropriate housing, the individual/household’s financial, mental, cognitive, behavioral or physical challenges and/or racism and discrimination.”

Regina’s Homeless Population, Available Housing and Barriers to Housing:

The Extent of Homelessness:

Trying to understand the full scope of homelessness in Regina is difficult due to lack of data or incomplete data. To date there has not been a serious attempt from the municipal government to count the number of homeless people in the city.

Available Housing:

According to the most recent statistics Regina’s vacancy rate is at 1.9%, and 8.9% of Regina’s residents are in great need of housing. Availability of rental housing and especially affordable rental housing is very low. This is due to an overall low number of rental housing units, as well as the fact that the number of housing units being built has not kept pace with the city’s population growth. In addition to this, shelters and temporary housing facilities are full and in some cases operating above their capacity.

Homelessness is a Poor Person’s Problem:

Homelessness affects more than a homeless individual. It affects other residents of a community, community service workers, and business owners. Homelessness is a societal issue for all members of society in the following ways:

 The moral dimension.

o Community residents may be conflicted by homelessness because they encounter homeless individuals who live in substandard conditions.

 Social cohesion.

o In societies in which there are resource inequities and large inequalities in income distribution there may be a breakdown of social cohesion resulting in greater fear and uncertainty for everyone.

 Social inclusion.

o Homelessness creates divisions in community which leads to an “us vs. them” mentality. Homeless individuals are treated differently. For instance, there is a an outpouring of support in communities where people have become homeless due to a natural disaster, however, there is not an equally strong outpouring of support for individuals who become homeless due to less immediate events.

 Social harmony.

o When people do not have a private space to reside in, they reside in public spaces which may lead to conflicts over the use of such spaces. Conflicts may bring out deeply rooted issues due to stereotypical perceptions of homeless and marginalized individuals.

Conclusion:

The city of Regina is in the midst of a homelessness crisis. So far the effort to help homeless individuals has been dispersed and without significant commitment and action from all levels of government. In order to improve the current situation there needs to be a greater collaboration between stakeholders and greater investment in social and affordable housing. Concrete goals need to be set and systems for monitoring and evaluating progress need to be implemented.

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