SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan NDP held simultaneous media conferences in Regina and Saskatoon on Wednesday to again put pressure on the government to address the ongoing homelessness crisis. The Opposition stressed the crisis continues despite the existence of thousands of vacant houses across the province.
Opposition Shadow Minister for Housing April ChiefCalf, speaking near the River Landing Amphitheatre in Saskatoon, stated that the government has failed to utilize public housing, which has contributed to the homelessness and drug crises.
Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Social Services Brent Blakley held a separate media event in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina.
“We face a massive housing crisis here in Saskatoon, where houselessness has shot up 300 per cent. We also face a record drug crisis, as more people have died in this city as a result of drug use this year than through the entirety of 2024,” said ChiefCalf. “The Sask. Party sits on its hands. Today, I'm releasing further proof of just how badly they have failed the people of Saskatchewan. The data 小蓝视频 provided to you today shows clearly that thousands of vacant public housing units in Saskatchewan sit empty.”
The information obtained by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) through a freedom of information request, showed that there are approximately 2,150 vacant housing units across the province — with nearly 200 in Saskatoon and more than 400 in Regina.
“These homes have the potential to save lives, to get people off the streets, to set them up with supports to manage their addictions, and so much more,” said ChiefCalf. “There are also communities where more than half of the publicly owned housing units are vacant. This is completely ridiculous and a shameful failure. We know these public housing units are vacant for two reasons.”
The SHC inventory, based on the 2024 vacancy report, showed there are 200 units — 100 in Regina and 50 each in Saskatoon and Yorkton — of Valley View and other purpose-built life buildings.
ChiefCalf added that rent prices in Saskatoon increased by 7.9 per cent year over year. The growing population in the province, fuelled by international immigration, could be a factor, as Saskatchewan has one of the lowest costs of living in the country.
“A big part of the problem is just that the government hasn't planned for more people coming into Saskatchewan and Saskatoon, and they're not keeping pace with the demand for housing. That includes repairing and making affordable and social housing units through SHC,” she said.
“The average price of rent has decreased by 2.9 per cent across Canada. We're in a housing crisis, a drug crisis, and an affordability crisis, and it may only get worse as this government continues to fail.”
Saskatoon has experienced significant population growth, with an estimated 14,000 people moving to the city from 2022 to 2023 — 97 per cent of whom were international immigrants. It is estimated that the population increased annually by between 1.46 and 1.85 per cent.
