Municipalities call on province to improve Sask. social assistance program

Saskatchewan mayors and councillors are calling on the provincial government to address the social assistance program.

Saskatchewan mayors and councillors are calling on the provincial government to address the social assistance program.

Both mayors and councillors say they are dismayed at what they see on their communities’ streets with growing numbers of homeless people.

“Certainly with the warmer weather we are seeing people move out of shelters in some cases, finding places to sleep on park benches, under trees, wherever they can make a cardboard home and that’s not what we want to see,” vice president of Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), Gerald Albers said.

The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association believes Social Services bear responsibility for contributing to the situation.

“We continuously circle back to the SIS program where we continue to hear this from landlords that they are not prepared to rent to people because they are afraid they are not going to get paid,” Albers said.

Laurie Richards is struggling to raise six children with money from social services and a part-time job.

“They need to cover all the utilities, they need to give more for the rental portion because there’s no way somebody can find someplace for rent on $875,” Richards said.