The province is revealing more of its new plan to address homelessness and addictions with $574 million dollars, and $34 million in new funding included in the provincial budget.
"This is a critical plan to address a very important issue to our communities, and we're making great strides so far and I'm very encouraged by the work done so far," Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Tim McLeod said shortly after the budget was announced Wednesday.
Last October the province unveiled plans for a new approach to social services. Combining three ministries for two new action plans, the province intends to greatly increase the supply of shelter spaces, supportive housing and a number of mental health and addictions initiatives.
Wednesday marked the first of the province's commitment of record spending for years to come on the file.
An extra $6.2 million will add 150 more addictions treatment spaces to the 183 that have already been announced, as the province works towards the total target of 500.
Another $1.0 million will support the development of a central intake system that patients can contact directly to self-refer for treatment, and $5.7 million is slated for wrap-around mental health and addictions supports for people in supportive housing.
"The quality of life for everybody in this province in the future is going to be largely dependent on the quality of life for the lowest income people in this province -- and this budget doesn't do anything to address their real needs and concerns," Peter Gilmer, an advocate with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, said.
Gilmer feels the budget falls short in a few different areas, which surprised him on an election year. Gilmer called the $7.4 million increase slated for the province's income support program's basic shelter benefits an "insult."
"Those benefits are already so inadequate and so low, and given the cost of living crisis this is just going to be a continuation of skyrocketing foodbank usage," Gilmer said.
"We're disappointed with what we saw today."
Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky said partnerships with federal and municipal governments has been an added boost to the province, but finding qualified tradespeople and repairing existing underutilized housing units has been a challenge.
"This funding is to help get that balance in the portfolio of units we have," he said. "This additional funding will hopefully help accelerate that."
A total of $4.7 million is targeted for youth mental health initiatives, including $1 million to expand
the mental health capacity building program in schools.
Shelters saw increased funding with $7.2-million budgeted to support ongoing emergency shelter operations across the province and $9.5 million to develop supportive housing spaces in Regina and Saskatoon, and $7.7 million is intended to operate complex needs shelters.
As the province looks to make gains after recently implementing its new approach to social services, Gilmer says people looking to the government for help were left out.
"This doesn't deal with the cost of living crisis that low income people are dealing with," Gilmer said.
