Erica Beaudin says she’s blessed to help expand a service that helped her in the past. Silver Sage Holdings opened five new temporary homes in Regina for people in crisis on Monday.

“It’s kind of like Maslow’s theory of needs, right? If you have your basics met, then you’re able to move onto other aspects of your life,” Beaudin said.

The newly renovated homes are being opened with help from the provincial and federal governments. They’re aimed at providing a safe, affordable living space for families with emergency or transitional needs, like leaving an abusive relationship.

When Beaudin moved into her relief home, she was a single mother with three children all under the age of five and was leaving a “difficult situation.”

“Having that opportunity and having my children having that safe place to play as well as sleep had me able to concentrate on different aspects of our life in order to better it,” Beaudin said.

“So I was able to return to university, and continue on with working and here I am today.”

Beaudin is now executive director for Regina Treaty/Status Indian Service. The organization is also working with Silver Sage on this initiative.

Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services executive director Erica Beaudin speaks at the podium for Monday’s crisis housing announcement.

“The partnership with Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services (RT/SIS) continues to address a real need in our community,” Board Chair of Silver Sage Holdings Ltd. Edmund Bellegarde said.

“A place for families to live and work is critical. We have families in our community who are in crisis and simply need a safe, affordable place to live. We see these emergency houses and this partnership as another path to healing.”

The homes are receiving about $800,000 from the two levels of government through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Saskatchewan Housing Corporation.

Silver Sage is putting up $460,000 in through cash and land equity.

According to Beaudin, there is a growing need for these kinds of homes. She said she’s “blessed” to take part in this announcement, but would like to see 10-to-20 more of these homes, as she feels societal violence has increased.

“Twenty years ago, we still had a hood or inner-city. So, it was very important for me to be able to raise my children out of that kind of setting,” Beaudin said.

“Today, I would say the intensity has increased for the need for safe and secure housing for families. We have drive-by shootings which we didn’t have.”

Beaudin linked these issues to challenges surrounding addictions and other challenges. In Beaudin’s view, it will take collaboration between government’s and service providers to meet the challenge.

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