Rising homelessness in rural and remote Saskatchewan is one of the issues being tackled by the University of Saskatchewan’s Pathways to Equity initiative. This project is a partnership between USask and Metis Nation-Saskatchewan.

Dr. Brenda Mishak from the College of Nursing states that the biggest way to impact change is through policy. As an example, she explains that you need a health card to access health care, for both your physical and mental health, but you can’t have a health card if you don’t have an address, and if you don’t have a home, you don’t have an address. She calls that a policy bias.

This project will look at possible policy changes to improve access to care, including untreated mental health issues which Mishak says is a significant contributor to homelessness. The project will also look at the root causes of homelessness to find better supports for those at risk.

She notes that the winter is an extremely challenging time for those without shelter, but all seasons have their challenges. For instance, in the extreme heat, there aren’t many places to get a drink of water in a city, let alone in rural and remote areas. Mishak says basic necessities can be a struggle with little access to watering stations, cooling off stations, washrooms, showers and laundry facilities.