Question Period (24 November 2025)

From Hansard (24 November 2025)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 2:26:25 PM.

Emergency Hotel Stays and Provincial Approach to Homelessness

Brent Blakley: — Well, Mr. Speaker, the Sask Party government doesn’t seem to care about cockroaches in hospitals, and they don’t seem to care about cockroaches in hotels. The Coachman Inn right here in Regina is infested with cockroaches and bedbugs, and yet the Minister for Social Services continues to send at-risk clients to spend the night there. Why does the minister think it’s acceptable to send clients to a hotel they know is unsafe?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Well thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I’ve been apprised by my ministry that as of today there are no social services clients at the Coachman. And I think this speaks to a larger issue and an announcement that we made last week, Mr. Speaker, on the provincial approach to homelessness: a $20 million expansion and renewal of the original provincial approach to homelessness, which was a $40.2 million investment. It’s foundational funding. The $20 million in terms of an expansion and renewal is going to create additional shelter spaces. It’s also going to create additional supportive housing spaces, Mr. Speaker.

This is something that is taking place multi-ministry, through the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, Mr. Speaker. This is an issue we take extremely seriously, and it’s one that we’re going to keep working diligently on with our partners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

 

Brent Blakley: — Mr. Speaker, the minister can’t claim to be taking this issue seriously. If he did he would have acted in July of 2024. That’s when one of his ministry’s top officials noted in writing that he was:

Not sure that this hotel should be on our list if this is the conditions of the hotel, and it sounds like it’s known in Regina to not be a great hotel.

Why did the minister fail to listen to his official’s advice over a year ago and stop sending people to this unsafe, unhealthy hotel?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as I alluded to last week, when it comes to individuals that are in crisis, this is a government that will not let somebody suffer. If it’s a matter of leaving an individual on the street or finding a roof to put over their head, we will always endeavour to put that roof over that individual’s head, Mr. Speaker.

You know, when it comes to individuals that are in crisis and individuals that are needing help, Mr. Speaker, this is a government that works very closely with our government partners — federal as well as municipal. We also work with Indigenous partners, our community-based organizations who do outstanding work across this province in this field, Mr. Speaker.

We just finished making an additional $20 million investment last week in the provincial approach to homelessness, Mr. Speaker, which is going to increase the number of shelter spaces. It’s going to increase the number of opportunities for individuals to acquire supportive housing spaces. This is work that’s going to continue to ensure that each individual, Mr. Speaker, is safe and secure in Saskatchewan.

 

Brent Blakley: — Mr. Speaker, the minister has a duty to the people of this province. When people are in crisis, you don’t send them to a hotel with these conditions. After 18 years of Sask Party mismanagement, this is what we’re left with — cockroaches, bedbugs, and a minister who denies there’s even a problem.

Does the minister really think it’s okay for vulnerable people to be placed in hotels with bugs, drugs, and God knows what else?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And as I’ve said before, this is an unacceptable situation. And this is why our ministry is working extremely hard to ensure that we’re doing what we can and we’re doing as much as we can for individuals that maybe find themselves vulnerable, or even worse, in crisis, Mr. Speaker.

You know, when it comes to individuals that are in this state, this is why we have made, government-wide, a $98 million investment into working with homelessness and in working with our municipal partners, working with our mental health and addictions treatment centres, Mr. Speaker. We’ve made significant investments and we will continue to make those investments on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan to keep them safe and secure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---

Back to 2025/2026 Session