Seniors at King Edward Place are dealing with witnessing open drug use, feces and blood in common areas, mattresses rented by the hour, and the security doors held shut with bungee cords. That’s according to the provincial NDP, which says in a news release that residents in the government housing building have seen people passed out in stairwells feces smeared on walls, and bed bugs and cockroaches in the building. One tenant is reportedly renting mattresses out by the hour.
NDP MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin, Nathaniel Teed, says seniors living in this apartment building on 25th Street East built our province and now they can’t live out their golden years in security and dignity. He is calling for the apartment building to be returned to its previous classification of being for individuals 55 and over or living with disabilities, stating that having people with complex needs in the building without the necessary supports doesn’t help anyone.
Lynette, who is a resident of King Edward Place, says many seniors wanted to speak to the media but were too nervous they might be kicked out of their homes. She wonders how Sask. Party members would feel if their parents lived in one of these buildings, dealing with these issues.
Last August, Teed raised the residents’ concerns with the Minister of Social Services and invited him to tour the building, but the NDP says he still hasn’t acted, even after a follow-up letter in March. Click here for the letters – Letter to Minister Jenson (King Edward Building) – Letter to the Minister (King Edward Building
In response to the NDP highlighting the challenges at the government housing apartment complex the Ministry of Social Services and the Saskatoon Housing Authority have issued a statement which says the housing authority contracted a security company to be on site to enhance safety, and these employees provide an impartial overview of activities in the building. From video surveillance footage and discussions with the on-site security company, the Ministry doesn’t believe guests are sleeping in stairwells, wandering the building or engaging in illegal activity such as drug dealing.
The statement adds that the housing authority has directly followed up with all involved tenants and continues to work with residents, and emphasizes that all tenants at King Edward Place, which is a senior social housing building, are seniors 55 and older and able to live independently and meet all requirements to live in senior social housing.
