There are more homeless people in Saskatoon than there are beds for them, and there is even less capacity for those who have more complex needs. Mayor Charlie Clark, who is a Commisioner with the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners, brought the topic up at Thursday’s meeting. He noted that even if there was a shelter bed available, some people with complex needs have been banned. Clark says that what he is hearing from the community is the urgent need for beds for these homeless people who have more complex needs.

Chief Troy Cooper agreed. He says when officers respond and take someone to a shelter, the beds are often full, even for those without more complex issues. On the weekend, officers tried to find room for two people but there were no beds available anywhere, so the only other option was a jail cell and then back on the street the next day.

Clark responded that all stakeholders need to get together to come up with solutions, and added that the City has been talking with the province about this urgent need. He suggested the City could possibly identify properties which could be utilized for this kind of housing.