Facing Winter: A Saskatoon Morning series about homelessness in the city

The first snow has arrived in Saskatoon and temperatures will continue to drop over the next months. That's a problem for everyone who doesn't have a place to call home, and for those scrambling to make sure there's housing for everyone.

About 550 people were experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon at the end of April 2022, according to the Saskatoon Community Foundation'sVital Focus on Homelessness in Saskatoon report.

Sixteen people died of hypothermia or exposure across the province in 2022-23, with drugs or alcohol playing a contributing factor in most cases, according topreliminary data from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

Some people who have worked with the city's most vulnerable residents for decades say the crisis is the worst they have ever seen.

CBC's Saskatoon Morning team has been talking with people affected by homelessness and those trying to make a difference.

Facing Winter, Part 1:Edwards Manor

CBC's Danny Kerslake spoke with staff and a resident atEdwards Manor, an apartment buildingand harm reduction facility that houses chronically homeless people who have addictions and mental health issues.Amanda Kolinskysaid shewas homeless herself before becomingthe administrative supervisor of Edwards Manor.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 1:

Saskatoon Morning6:49Facing Winter, Part 1: The cold is moving in, and that has people scrambling to make sure there's housing for everyone

Host Leisha Grebinski speaks with Saskatoon Morning's Danny Kerslake who visited Edwards Manor, where people with "complex needs" can find home.

Facing Winter, Part 2:Prairie Harm Reduction

Saskatoon Morning host Leisha Grebinski stoppedby Prairie Harm Reductionin Saskatoon's Riversdale neighbourhood to talk about the people it serves and why the organization extended the hours for its safe consumption site over the winter months.

"We've seen an increase of complex overdoses in the evening that staff in the drop-in have been having to attend to outside," saidKayla DeMong, executive director at Prairie Harm Reduction.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 2:

Saskatoon Morning10:13Facing Winter, Part 2: People who have worked with the city's most vulnerable people for decades say the crisis is the worst it's ever been

And with winter coming, there is growing concern about people overdosing and dying in the cold. Host Leisha Grebinski stops by Prairie Harm Reduction to find out how they plan to cope.

Facing Winter, Part 3:Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre

Oct. 16 was World Food Day, first established in 1945 by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization to raise awareness of world hunger and poverty, and to look for solutions. But people don't need to travel around the world to witness hunger. It's prevalent right here in the city.

TheSaskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre has seen an increase in clients, some of them coming for the first time, saidLaurie O'Connor, the CEO of the organization.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 3:

Saskatoon Morning8:17Facing Winter, Part 3: The food bank continues to see record numbers of people in need of food security

On this World Food Day, host Leisha Grebinski speaks with the food bank's CEO, Laurie O'Connor, about the effort to make sure everyone has access to a healthy meal.

Facing Winter, Part 4:EGADZ

The Saskatoon downtown youth centre EGADZhas been one of the organizations in the city opening its doors in the winter as warm-up locations. EGADZoffers services for young people including school support, a drop-in centre, street outreachand housing programs.

CBC's Theresa Kliemmet with Don Meikle, the organization's executive director. He saidhe can't believe how bad the drug situation is in Saskatoon, and how many people are homeless in the city.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 4:

Saskatoon Morning9:01Facing Winter, Part 4: EGADZ is one of the places in the city listed as a warm-up location during extreme cold weather

Winter is coming and temperatures are dropping. And that's a problem for everyone who doesn't have a place to call home. Saskatoon Morning's Theresa Kliem stops by downtown youth centre EGADZ to find out how they're preparing for winter.

Facing Winter, Part 5:Salvation Army

The Salvation Army runs its Crossroads Emergency Shelter in downtown Saskatoon for people who identify as male.The shelter is open 24 hours and has 75 beds for people in need of a warm place to sleep.

The organization has been seeinga dailyincrease in people accessing its services, including the shelter and the emergency after hoursprogram, said the Salvation Army's Roger Yenkins. Staff at the shelter have also noticed an increase in frustration and hopelessness, he said.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 5:

Saskatoon Morning10:06Facing Winter, Part 5: A visit to the Salvation Army's Crossroads facility

Winter is a harsh reality for people without a home in the city, and those trying to help them. Saskatoon Morning's Theresa Kliem stops by Crossroads and speaks with Housing Services Manager Roger Yenkins and client Jason Cody Fleming.

Facing Winter, Part 6:Chokecherry Studios

Homelessness has no age brackets. Almost 43 per cent of the people reported as homeless in April last year first experienced homelessness as youth,according to the Saskatoon Community Foundation'sVital Focus on Homelessness in Saskatoon report.

Chokecherry Studios is a non-profit art-centred organization founded by youth that recently moved to a new location. It provides people under 29 in Saskatoon a place to unwind, eatand warm up.Many of the young people who come through the doors face multiple barriers, according to executive director Andrea Cessna.

LISTEN | Facing Winter, Part 6:

Saskatoon Morning10:05Facing Winter, Part 6: Winter's grasp will tighten its hold sooner than we'd like to admit

Signs of homelessness are evident all over the city. Hidden homelessness exists as well, and the folks at Chokecherry Studios think it's more rampant in youth than most people realize. The organization offers young people a place to hang out and unwind. Saskatoon Morning's Candice Lipski speaks with Chokecherry's Sarah Janvier and Andrea Cessna.