Brody Langager
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The dramatic increase in children facing homelessness in Saskatoon is at a “critical” stage and must be addressed by the provincial government, Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate says following a recent point-in-time count in the city.
The recently-released full report counted 1,499 people in Saskatoon in 2024 who were living in the city without permanent shelter. Of those, 315 were children 12 years of age and younger, and 175 were between the ages of 13 and 24.
“The number of children identified as experiencing homelessness in the city of Saskatoon is absolutely unacceptable, and the significant rise in child homelessness is alarming. In a wealthy province such as ours, this should never happen,” Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth Lisa Broda said in a statement.
The number of people counted in the report almost tripled the number recorded in 2022, and children facing homelessness has increased by more than 1,100 per cent from the 26 counted in 2022.
Broda pointed to a statement made by the province in May about Saskatchewan’s GDP being the second-highest in the country and hitting a provincial record.
“As recently as May 1, 2025, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that ‘Saskatchewan continues to see record growth within our provincial economy,’ and the ‘result of this is … a high quality of life for all who call our province home.’ All Saskatchewan children should be able to benefit from this progress, and we should not be seeing 315 children in Saskatoon without a place to call home,” Broda said.
She noted Saskatoon is not an outlier in this situation, and that other cities see similar issues. She said every child has the right to an adequate standard of living under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Children experiencing homelessness also face additional barriers to having their rights to safety, health, education and culture respected,” she said. “If families and caregivers require assistance in providing housing or other basic needs for children, the government has an obligation to ensure this right is fulfilled.
“As the rate of child homelessness in Saskatoon has risen dramatically over the last two years, there is a clear need for the government to assess the impact any recent policy changes have had on the standard of living of children, and on the ability of families to meet their needs.”
She said her office will advocate for provincial public services to conduct child rights impact assessments, which call for governments to evaluate potential impacts that a policy change or decision may have on children, directly or indirectly, before that change is made.
The assessments also require continuous evaluation after a change is made, to determine actual outcomes on the well-being of children.
“Immediate action must be taken to rectify this critical situation. This action must address the root causes of poverty and homelessness — and not be limited to short-term solutions.”
Minister of Social Services Terry Jenson responded to the report last week, saying the province is working closely with organizations like Saskatoon Tribal Council, with a focus on children and families to make sure they have housing.
He teased an upcoming project with STC, saying the organization is getting some good results.
“There’s going to be another initiative that we’re working with STC on, specifically aimed at youth that are either experiencing homelessness or just don’t have a stable family environment and they’re out on the street,” Jenson said.
The province also recently partnered with the City of Saskatoon to create a drop-in centre for the homeless population.
“I think the key is making sure we have partners who have the people on staff that can connect with individuals,” Jenson said.
He said the province is seeking new approaches to better support people who need more than a home to remain connected to housing.
