Demand for hotel rooms during Grey Cup week adds pressure to housing crisis

Grey Cup effects on Regina’s homeless Regina’s housing crisis is receiving added pressure due to the demand for hotel rooms during Grey Cup week. Wayne Mantyka reports.

The ministry of social services often use hotel rooms as overflow shelter space but with so many people in town for the Grey Cup, most hotels are full, which is adding pressure to the city’s housing crisis.

A couple from Alberta has come to Regina to visit their son in hospital. Their money has run out and emergency housing is in short supply during Grey Cup.

“Space and availability of what’s in the hotel situation and shelters here they do get full and that’s what we’re told. There’s room for one but not both,” said the man.

They’re living on a heated transit bus supplied by the City of Regina for those with nowhere to go.

About two dozen people join them each night.

“I was sleeping outside in the garage with no heat and no power at all,” said Clarissa Kay, who is living on the bus.

Most on board are appreciative of the makeshift shelter.

“You know, a lot of us would be just standing in the streets trying to make it through the night so the City of Regina is actually doing something for the people and I commend that,” said a man who is living on the bus.

Last year at this time, about 100 people were living in tents at Camp Hope. Shylo Stevenson with Warriors of Hope later helped coordinate a move to an emergency winter shelter.

“Well it’s a bit different than last year. We were in tents last year and a year ago yesterday I rode a bus to the new shelter and it’s just unfortunate this year we’re on a bus for the shelter,” he said.

Organization representatives along with some of the people living on the bus had a meeting with the minister of social services, Gene Makowsky. The minister said advance planning went into Grey Cup shelter needs.

“The ministry did some work to secure a block of hotels here in the Regina area so if needed, we have that,” he said.

Mayor Sandra Masters said something better than a bus is on the way.

“There will be an overnight warming centre open back up which the city is helping to fund a part of that and so in terms of shelter space, we are still looking for that location.”

The couple from Alberta living on the transit bus are being sent to a motel for the weekend by social services with a promise that no one will be left out in the cold.