The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) is getting ready to talk about housing and homelessness.
Early next month the organization will be hosting a conference in Saskatoon where attendees will be talking about a range of topics, including barriers to housing and potential solutions.
Jason Mercredi, director of social infrastructure for MN-S told MBC Radio News people from a number of different organizations will be in attendance along with people who have more unique insights.
“We’re excited, we’re going to have people from the province, people from the federal government there, community members, people with lived experience, non profits and housing providers from across the province,” he said.
Mercredi said they are expecting around 300 people to take part in the conference, which is sold out. He explained this year will be the second time that MN-S has put on the conference. Mercredi said MN-S was motivated to put on a conference in part because they wanted to bring a wide range of people together to talk about possible fixes for housing and homelessness.
“Many folks provide services to our citizenry across the province and we thought the timing was right to pull everybody together to talk about solutions,” he said.
The current housing issues in the province are ones which Mercredi sees as having many different components to them and as a result require a range of avenues to be looked at.
“We need to be building more units across the province, (to) alleviate for low income rental folks, not to mention helping first time home owners get into home ownership,” he said.
The lack of housing for lower income and higher risk people is a topic which Mercredi expects will be brought up at the conference along with gaps in services that currently exist. Mercredi stressed MN-S is going into the conference with an open mind and will be listening to community members when it comes to solutions.
“We’re there to listen as well as to learn just like everybody else,” he said.
The Addressing Systemic Barriers Saskatchewan Housing and Homelessness Conference 2024 will be going March 6 and 7 in Saskatoon at the Sheraton Hotel.
(File Photo. MBC Radio News.)