Photo provided by Saskatoon Tribal Council

The Saskatoon Tribal Council has been provided with funding from the federal government to address homelessness issues in Saskatoon.

Over 800 thousand dollars will be used to build several housing units throughout the city.

The funding will be allocated to three different projects under STC currently working to provide housing for the city’s homeless.

  • STC Urban First Nation Services will receive $143,000 towards the purchase of a transitional home for children.

  • Cress Housing, a subsidiary of STC, will receive $686,000 over two fiscal years to go towards the purchase of three duplexes for Housing First families.

  • White Buffalo Youth Lodge will receive $50,000 to build a meeting room as well as provide essential help for Housing First families moving into housing.

STC Chief Felix Thomas says in his experience many people in Saskatoon doesn’t recognize homelessness as an issue.

“It’s easy to credit ourselves for our personal success and forget that at the foundation was a safe and stable living environment,” said Chief Thomas. “For those who live in survival mode, it’s enough to live daily, let alone set goals for healthy living.”

“Today’s announcement is an excellent example of people in Saskatoon coming together to build a better future,” said Saskatoon mayor Charlie Clark. “These exciting projects will help some of Saskatoon’s more vulnerable citizens by creating a sense of community and offering valuable support.

The funding was made available through the federal government’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

The Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnership along with the Community Advisory Board on Saskatoon Homelessness approved the funding.