An ambitious plan was released Thursday morning that aims to combat and end homelessness in Regina.

The five-Year Plan to End Chronic and Episodic Homelessness in Regina was developed by End Homelessness Regina as part of a partnership with the federal government. The plan predicts that over the five years, approximately 2200 people will be helped.

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An April 2018 “Point in Time Count” found 286 homeless individuals, and an additional 2000 “hidden homeless” who have access to accommodation but limited prospects for stable, permanent housing. The count showed 80 per cent of homeless people in Regina are indigenous, over 50 per cent are women, and 25 to 30 per cent are youth.

“With all the prosperity we have in this city and province, with all the wealth and opportunity, we should not be facing this issue,” said Regina Mayor Michael Fougere.

The projected cost of the five-year plan is $63 million. That total includes $25 million to go towards the creation of 270 new housing spaces for consistently homeless people and 80 new supportive housing units. The remaining $38 million is slated to fund programming.

“When it comes to housing and support, it’s not just putting people in homes, it’s having the support and meeting these people where they’re at. That why we talk about the housing first philosophy and how important it is to the plan,” said Regina Plan to End Homelessness Director Terin Kennedy.

The plan also cited studies that suggest half of the money invested can be recovered through reductions in services like health care, social support, policing and corrections. It notes that while a night in the hospital costs $364 on average, and a day in jail costs $144, a day of housing supports costs just $15.

A set of Key Performance Indicators will be used to assess and improve the performance of the Plan. Indicators will include changes in the number of people on the street, changes in the number of people exiting public systems like health care and correctional facilities into homelessness, and participant feedback.

The City will now perform an internal review to determine the next steps to move forward with the plan. Funding sources haven’t been announced.

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