A homeless shelter in North Battleford will continue operations for at least another 6 months.
The Lighthouse shelter nearly closed this past March because of a lack of funding. However, the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan stepped in with a commitment to fund the shelter for 6 months to keep the doors open.
That financial commitment will be coming to an end on October 1st. At that point, Lighthouse Supported Living will be leasing the shelter to the Battlefords Agency Tribal Council to run the shelter, again for another 6 month period.
“The City of North Battleford is very thankful for our community-minded partners that have worked together to develop an innovative approach to continue this needed service for the homeless in the Battlefords,” stated North Battleford Mayor David Gillan.
With the BATC taking over the shelter they say they are renaming the Shelter to ‘Miywasin Kikinaw – a beautiful place.’
“It is our hope to work with clients on a case-by-case basis while focusing on health, wellness, and future transitions. This has been close to our hearts. We have provided funding to the Lighthouse for over a decade. It makes sense to all of us at BATC to lead a new, more innovative approach to address homelessness in the Battlefords,” said the BATC chiefs in a joint statement.
Christena Konrad, Housing Director with the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan says their organization is not taking a step back, but are transitioning into a support role moving forward. Konrad says the MN-S would be willing to provide funding to keep the shelter open if needed.
“One of the problems we have seen is an inability to formulate a sustainable plan for the shelter,” said Konrad. “We hope to see (all interested parties) have a strong and effective program.”
A community impact meeting will be held in the coming weeks to explore more sustainable ways to keep the shelter open in the future.