SaskatoonSaskatoon’s fire department counted 1,248 homeless encampments through the first eight months of this year, which is just shy of the 1,255 counted in all of last year.NDP wants government action on deepening crisis as winter loomsPhil Tank · CBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2025 4:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesSaskatoon’s point-in-time homeless count last year identified 1,499 people, a sharp increase from the 550 people counted in 2022. This year’s count took place on Oct. 16. No date has been set for a release of the results. (Matt Garand/CBC)Saskatchewan’s NDP Opposition wants immediate action from the government to alleviate a homelessness crisis that’s getting worse — particularly in the province’s largest city.NDP deputy leader Vicki Mowat pointed Monday to numbers from the Saskatoon fire department that show the number of homeless encampments appears to be rising significantly.The fire department counted 1,248 encampments through the first eight months of the year, which is just shy of the 1,255 counted in all of last year.That means Saskatoon is on track to log triple the number of encampments this year when compared to the 512 counted by the fire department in 2022.“You see encampments and it’s heartbreaking to see people living this way,” Mowat told reporters Monday at a news conference.“You know, we have a winter coming in Saskatchewan. It is a hostile climate. No one should have to live this way. Everyone should have a safe place to live.”Saskatchewan NDP deputy leader Vicki Mowat speaks about the growing problem of homeless encampments in Saskatoon during a news conference on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Travis Reddaway/CBC)Fire crews cleared 357 encampments from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, compared to 218 in all of last year, an increase that was first reported by CTV. The City of Saskatoon defines an encampment as “any area where an individual or a group of people live unhoused together, often in tents or other temporary shelters.” The fire department has assessed that all 65 neighbourhoods in Saskatoon are affected by encampments.Mowat suggested three ways the government could help alleviate the crisis by addressing the housing crunch in the province.She repeated the Opposition’s call for rent control legislation like other provinces have, including Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba.Mowat also urged the Saskatchewan Party government to restore the practice of permitting Saskatchewan Income Support payments to be made directly to landlords.Mowat said people who spoke to her this summer about paying landlords directly said they fail to understand why the government made the decision to prohibit it. She said the NDP and others have been advocating against the decision for some time.“They haven’t changed their mind yet and it’s a complete head-scratcher.”She also wants the province to repair “thousands” of government housing units that are sitting empty so they can be used for shelter, she said.Homeless count triples in SaskatoonMowat added that while homelessness has become a growing issue throughout the province, it’s particularly dire in Saskatoon. She pointed out that while homeless counts in some cities, like Regina, doubled over previous tallies, they tripled in Saskatoon.Saskatoon’s point-in-time homeless count last year identified 1,499 people, a sharp increase from the 550 people counted in 2022. This year’s count took place on Oct. 16. No date has been set for a release of the results.Saskatoon Community Foundation CEO Rachael Steinke told a city council committee this month that she expects this year’s homeless count to reveal an even higher number, based on her conversations with those involved in the process.On Wednesday, council will vote on a plan to establish a hub for unhoused people to access numerous services, and follow up with possible locations in the spring.Mowat said it’s “encouraging” to see municipalities like Saskatoon take an active role in addressing homelessness, but added that the Canadian constitution assigns responsibility for social services to the province.“They need to take leadership on that,” Mowat said. ”They need to take accountability and responsibility rather than offloading all of the decision-making processes onto the municipalities.”WATCH | Government announced drop-in shelter funding in September:Sask. government invests $3M to run year-round drop-in shelters in SaskatoonThe funding announced Thursday is on top of the province’s $40-million homelessness plan.Saskatchewan Social Services Minister Terry Jenson told reporters in Regina on Monday that every level of government bears some responsibility for encampments. Jenson said the province’s role is finding social supports for the people affected when encampments are taken down.“It takes all three orders of government to [address encampments],” he added. “And it’s not an issue that’s unique just to Saskatoon and Regina. This is happening all across the country.”Saskatoon’s last homeless count revealed that most of the people with insecure housing were suffering from addiction issues, Jenson said. He said the province is expanding the resources available for treatment of addiction.
Spike in Saskatoon homeless encampments heartbreaking, NDP says
