05/19/2026
As I'm starting to research my summer project and reviewing some limited data available to me to prepare a proposal to the Province on how to poentially reduce homelessness, I was examining Onatrio's recent Bill 28 which is titled "Endiing Homelessness".
As I love the audacity to make that the goal and essentially declare homelessness a crisis, I wondered if Saskatchewan should follow Ontario’s lead in declaring a crisis or emergency, and so I'm reviewing the data involved and wanted to share some findings.
To start, while Ontario has a much larger total number of homeless individuals, Saskatchewan’s situation is often more severe when measured by rate per capita, demographic intensity, and climatic risk.
The Numbers: Ontario vs. Saskatchewan
Est.Homeless Pop. ON: 30k – 35k SK: 3,500 – 4k
Rate per 10,000 people: ON: 23 SK:32
Indigenous Representation: ON: 10–15% SK: 80%+
Chronic Homelessness %: ON: High SK: Very High
Climatic Concern: ON: moderate SK: Extreme - Life Threatening
Some Key Considerations:
Per Capita Severity: Though Ontario has more people, a resident of Saskatoon is statistically more likely to encounter or experience homelessness than a resident of many Ontario cities.
Jurisdictional Gridlock - Currently, the City of Saskatoon and the Provincial Government frequently clash over who is responsible for shelters (e.g., the recent friction over the Fairhaven shelter and downtown locations). A provincial crisis declaration forces different ministries (Health, Social Services, Justice) to break down "silos", and allow the province to work more effectively to fulfill their responsibilities to address the crisis.
The "SIS" Factor: Saskatchewan's change from the Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP) to the Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) program in 2021 which changed how rent is paid to landlords, is cited by Saskatoon frontline agencies as a direct driver of increased evictions. Ontario’s system (ODSP/OW) is also underfunded, but the specific policy shift in SK created a unique "inflow" surge that actually manufactured more homelessness.
So, should Saskatchewan declare a formal crisis/emergency as proposed in Ontario’s Bill 28? The evidence suggests yes, for three primary reasons:
1. The "Death by Cold" Reality - In Ontario, an emergency declaration is a tool for housing policy. In Saskatchewan, it is a tool for survival. Saskatoon experiences temperatures of -40°C. At these temperatures, being unsheltered is not just a "hardship", but a potentilly lethal condition.
If a flood or a fire threatened 500 people with death in 24 hours, the province would declare an emergency. Saskatchewan winters present that exact threat to the homeless population every year. A declaration would mandate the immediate opening of public buildings (armouries, schools, arenas) as warming centers without the usual red tape.
2. Jurisdictional Gridlock - Currently, the City of Saskatoon and the Provincial Government frequently clash over who is responsible for shelters (e.g., the recent friction over the Fairhaven shelter and downtown locations). A provincial crisis declaration forces different ministries (Health, Social Services, Justice) to break down "silos." It would allow the province to override municipal zoning hurdles that often delay the opening of supportive housing or shelters.
3. Moral and Political Accountability - Saskatchewan’s homelessness is highly visible in Saskatoon. Declaring a crisis moves the issue from a "Social Services budget line" to a "Provincial Priority." It signals to Indigenous nations (FSIN, MN-S) that the province acknowledges the disproportionate impact on their people.
While there are many benefits, there are also reasons the Saskatchewan government has been hesitant:
Fiscal Liability: A declaration may create a legal expectation that the province must provide a bed for everyone, potentially opening the door to lawsuits (similar to those seen in Ontario and BC) if people are still on the street.
Economic Perception: The province is focused on "Saskatchewan Growth." A crisis declaration can be seen by some as a "negative brand" for attracting investment and workers to Saskatoon.
Precedent: The government may fear that if they declare a crisis for homelessness, they will be pressured to do so for the overdose crisis or the healthcare staffing shortage.
So, should Saskatchen declare homelessnes a crisis? I think it should, but it should be a "Saskatchewan-Specific" Declaration. Unlike Ontario’s Bill 28, which is broad, a Saskatchewan declaration should be framed as a "Public Health and Safety Emergency", and should specifically enable:
Direct Rent Payment Options: Immediately allowing the Ministry of Social Services to pay landlords directly for all SIS clients at risk of homelessness (reversing the policy that spiked evictions). In addition, SIS should be increased to a livable amount, and have reasonable accountability measures to ensure funds are used appropriately.
Emergency Shelter Mandate: Requiring all provincial municipalities to have a "Cold Weather Trigger" where appropriate public spaces must open when temperatures hit -20°C. The funding and support for this program needs to come from the Province as municipalities lack the resources to do so.
Expedited Housing: Bypassing standard procurement to allow the necessary transitional, supportive and affordable housing to be built or converted from current abandoned or derelict properties and making such an investment a priority in conjuction with munipalities prioritizing zoning and and permits could allow such development to happen in weeks rather than years.
Proper Support Services: Housing people and providing safe spaces to live is just the beginning. To ensure people hve what they need to become self dependant, appropriate programs and services are needed to properly end the crisis and help ensure it doesn't happen again.
While Ontario is fighting a crisis of market scale (too many people, too little land, astronomical prices), Saskatchewan is fighting a crisis of systemic failure and climate (policy-driven evictions, extreme cold, and untreated mentalillness, addictions and trauma).
Because the risk of immediate death is higher in a Saskatchewan winter than Ontario, along with the other significnt anf growing issues in our province, the argument for an emergency declaration in Saskatchewan is actually stronger than the argument in Ontario.
