Prairie Harm Reduction cuts six-hour evening support due to funding crisis – Saskatoon

Starting May 1, Prairie Harm Reduction will shorten its evening hours by six hours due to a lack of funding.

For several years now, the safe consumption site and drop-in center have been open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We are the only place open at night for people in this community. We are the only public restroom.”

Next month, this property will no longer be open after 4 p.m.

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Kayla Demon, executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction, said the demand for staff has skyrocketed, with about 200 people accessing services and more staff needed in the field. Stated.

“It is well known that our safe consumption sites are not adequately funded and rely on donations,” Demon said.

She said the facility has only about $65,000 in funding to operate the drop-in site this year, which is $335,000 short of what is needed for 2024 demand.

“There will be no one to support people who are overdosing outside of the building.”

Demong said Saskatoon has seen a steady increase in overdoses during the evening hours, and Prairie Harm Reduction staff have responded to multiple scenes outside the building at night when the doors are closed. It is said that there is.

“Nobody’s going to be there and it’s scary to try to accept that,” Demon said.

She said there are hundreds more people in need of facility services that staff cannot handle alone.

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The space was originally built with the intention of holding about 30 people, but Demon said the drop-in center has more than 70 to 80 people at any given time, occupying beds, drinking coffee and keeping the center open. He says he eats the food provided. .

“Our day shift staff need more capacity and more support to deal with the large numbers of people. And for our night staff, we need more capacity and more support to deal with the large numbers of people we are dealing with. We are considering ~7 full-time positions,” she said.

According to Prairie Harm Reduction, the drop-in center has never received funding from the state budget. Demon said the Ministry of Health funds case management teams, but the teams are not functioning at drop-in centres.

“It is absolutely shocking that our state made a decision without considering the people living on our streets,” Demon said. “We know the numbers are growing. We know there’s a housing shortage. We know there’s a lack of financial support, and year after year, we’re increasing the number of people in this community.” We’re seeing less money being put into it.”

She said she felt it was the government’s responsibility to intervene and improve the situation.

“More treatment beds now is not the answer. We have to keep people alive.”

Global News has reached out to the state government for comment.

Demon said Prairie Harm Reduction will continue to seek funds through fundraisers and appeals for donations.

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