The demand for shelter beds in Saskatoon has been accentuated during the pandemic and with this weekend’s snow storm, the CEO of the Saskatoon Community Foundation is concerned that the city’s most vulnerable may be left out in the cold, even with the Cold Weather Strategy.

Carm Michalenko doesn’t believe there will be enough beds and she says that’s not a good feeling.

She would like the provincial government to provide some guidance and make sure there are enough resources available to help people through this weekend and onward as the pandemic continues, meaning fewer beds because of physical distancing, and because of an outbreak at the Lighthouse, meaning fewer beds there. She says there is housing available, through hotels and other means.

Michalenko is hoping for the best, but she believes the city’s shelter situation will soon be grave as many locations are already reporting an increased demand forcing them to turn people away. Beyond emergency shelter and chronic homelessness, the pandemic has created a new need to house individual facing self-isolation because of covid-19 exposure or diagnosis, something that is not going away as winter settles in.

Michalenko adds that both provincial government support and continued community support is needed to ensure safety within the shelter system, that’s why they are calling on the local and provincial governments to be at the table to work with the community to address safety. She suggests if we don’t protect those most vulnerable, then no one is protected.