Some community groups are renewing calls for action on homelessness and a year-round shelter in Prince Albert after a 42-year-old man was killed at an encampment last weekend.
Ponch Tyson Thomas Bird was killed at an encampment in the 300 block of 18th Street East on Saturday, marking the city’s second homicide of the year, according to the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS).
Brian Howell, manager with the River Bank Development Corporation (RBDC)-which oversees the Prince Albert homeless strategy, said he was shocked to hear of Bird’s death, but said, he has noticed an increase in violence in the homeless community.
“I just think there's more people. I think there's less resources to support them. You know, we don't have a shelter run during the summer, our food programs end at the end of July," he said.
Ron Dunlop with the P.A. YWCA said there is currently no year-round 24-hour shelter in the city, so there has been an increase in encampments during the summer. Dunlop said when the shelter is open from October to April, it is always at capacity.
“Homelessness is definitely increasing and we are definitely seeing an increase in the levels of violence exhibited by some individuals. Much of this we attribute to the easy availability of illicit substances and their unknown potency and chemical make-up, which in some cases can trigger drug-induced psychosis and the resulting anti-social behaviours,” he said.
Howell said the last point-in-time count in March saw about 50 people sleeping on the streets, but estimates it's more than double that now. He suggests establishing a homeless system of care in the shelter, where multiple agencies can work together to provide support.
“We are actively working towards having a permanent year-round shelter,” Howell said.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army echoes the call for action.
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"We’ve definitively had requests for an all-year-round shelter. They do find it difficult that the shelter kind of ends for men. I do think they are some resources out there for women, but there's definitely a need," Charlotte Dean, a major with the Salvation Army told CTV News.
Dean notes shelters are only short-term solutions.
The PAPS is still investigating Bird’s death, and said as of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests have been made. Bird’s cousin told CTV News he is being remembered as a selfless man, who always had a smile, and greeted with a hug.
