For release: December 19, 2008
Saskatoon:
Saskatoon community agencies warn that the number of homeless
individuals is on the rise and fear that the increasingly cold
temperatures and lack of emergency shelter and affordable housing could
have a disastrous effect on adults and children who are homeless this
Christmas.
Passion for Action Against
Homelessness, a coalition of community
agencies and individuals concerned about the increasing numbers of
homeless in Saskatoon, is holding a news conference at 10 a.m. on
Monday, December 22nd, at Saskatoon Community Clinic – Westside, 631-
20th St. W. Representatives of the agencies will propose solutions to
the current crisis and share stories about how many in our community are
affected by homelessness.
Speaking at the news conference are:
• Dr. Stephen Helliar, Family
Physician, Saskatoon Community Clinic – Westside
• Terry Gibson, Public Health
Inspector Supervisor, Public Health Service, Safe Communities, Saskatoon
Health Region
• Shirley Isbister, President,
Central Urban Metis Federation Inc. (CUMFI)
• Marla Hartman, President,
Saskatoon Overnight Shelter
• Barb Macpherson, Executive
Director, YWCA
• Trina Kingfisher, member, Passion
for Action Against Homelessness
"In the past year and a half I’ve
seen a marked increase in the number of patients I see who are homeless,
as well as those who are living in over-crowded conditions with friends
and family members," said Dr. Stephen Helliar, a physician at
Saskatoon Community Clinic - Westside for 28 years, who is concerned
about the negative impact of homelessness on the health of his patients.
Saskatoon’s skyrocketing housing and
rental costs have resulted in a growing need for emergency shelter in
the short term and affordable housing in the long term. Passion for
Action representatives point to Vancouver Mayor Greg Robertson’s
recent announcement of $300,000 for emergency housing as an example of
what can be done. They point out that the need is even more urgent in
Saskatoon with temperatures that have reached lower than
-30 C in recent days and stress that all levels of government must work
together with the community to find solutions.
"We know of individuals who are
living outside in these temperatures and moving from place to place
because there is no emergency housing available, in essence "no
room at the inn", said Randy Robinson, facilitator of Passion for
Action. "I’m concerned that too many people will be saying I’ll
be homeless for Christmas this year."
The news conference comes the day
after December 21st, the Day of
Awareness Around
Homelessness, and
the official start of the winter season. The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which is celebrating it’s
60th Anniversary in 2008, declares that shelter is a basic human right
that everyone is entitled to.
"Saskatoon is known as a caring
city but right now it isn’t shining for everyone. We are calling on
the community to show they care. Stable, affordable housing for everyone
is not only a right, but a need, not just during the holiday season, but
all the year through," said Nancy Carmichael, Saskatoon Community
Clinic Board Member.
For more information contact:
Nancy Carmichael, Board Member,
Saskatoon Community Clinic – 230-0727
Randy Robinson, Primary Health Team
Facilitator, Saskatoon Health Region and facilitator with Passion for
Action Against Homelessness – 655-6132
