Question Period (10 December 2024)

From Hansard (10 December 2024)

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Emergency Shelter and Cold-Weather Strategy

Don McBean: — Mr. Speaker, when the House adjourns today we will all enjoy our privilege and return to warm homes and loving families, and this is not a privilege that everyone gets to enjoy. It’s cold out. Homelessness is an ongoing crisis in every city in the province, and yet we still haven’t seen a cold-weather strategy from the Minister of Social Services.

To the minister: how many people will die of cold this winter due to the inaction of the Sask Party government?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an issue this government takes extremely seriously. We’ve worked with our municipal partners, and we’ve funded Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert with $750,000. And we have those conversations each and every day about their needs for shelters.

But I think this goes to a larger issue, and that’s this government’s approach to homelessness, the provincial approach to homelessness plan. $40.2 million over two years being invested in our communities — in our community-based organizations, with our municipal partners — to make sure that we provide the help that people need, whether that be outreach workers working within the CBO [community-based organization] sector to meet those individuals where they are, whether that’s funding a street team here in Regina that is helping with those individuals to get them into a safe place that’s warm.

Mr. Speaker, again, this is an issue that’s extremely . . . We take it seriously, and we’re going to continue to make those investments, and we’re going to continue to work with our community partners on this. Thank you.

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