Regina mayor wants more clarity on national homelessness strategy

Regina's mayor says the city's homelessness problem can't be solved until the government sheds more light on its commitment to help.

On Thursday, Mayor Michael Fougere asked for clarification from the federal government about its national housing strategy, which was announced Wednesday.

"We'd like details because we're trying to move forward very aggressively on homelessness," said Fougere, adding the city is also looking to better understand what the province will contribute.

As part of a 10-year, $40-billion national housing strategy, the feds announced their intent to reinstate rent subsidies, which terminate when social housing operating agreements expire. They also committed to repairing social housing and contributing to building affordable housing.

The timeline we know

Starting in April 2019, the community-based homelessness partnering strategy will receive a $2.2-billion investment over 10 years from the federal government.

The city said it hopes the funding will help reduce homelessness in Regina by 50 per cent.

"It's a process issue," Fougere said. "We're pleased with what we've seen so far, but there's much more to be done."

Without a response from the government about its timeline, he said strategy planning won't move forward as quickly as the city anticipated.