A decision to extend the lease of a homeless shelter downtown has been deferred.
A city committee unanimously agreed to ask administration for more information on the lease extension – which could include a zoning bylaw amendment.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) is asking the city to extend its lease until April 2023.
The 50-bed temporary shelter opened in December in a city-owned building. It’s only allowed to operate for a maximum of six months, under a Saskatoon bylaw.
The STC is planning to open a bigger facility on 20th Street West. Until then, the STC is hoping the city will extend the lease on its current facility on First Avenue North.
“We really don’t have very much information in front of us today about what this would mean. We’ve got the request, but we don’t really have the administrative response to that request – just based on our committee processes,” councillor Mairin Loewen said in the meeting.
Administration is set to bring forward options of how the city could move forward with a lease extension. It will be discussed by city council at a later meeting.
“I think this approach makes sense,” Loewen said.
