(Facebook/Michael Behiel)

By Mat Barrett

Concern for the Community

Humboldt mayor voices concerns about homelessness in city

Feb 12, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The mayor of Humboldt is voicing his concerns about homelessness in the city, especially with the current cold spell.

Michael Behiel said his concern grew more in recent days after reading a story about homeless people in Saskatoon, and while Humboldt isn’t nearly as big, there’s still the issue.

Behiel made a Facebook post on Friday about an experience he had the day prior. He told northeastNOW he got a call from a councillor who received information from a concerned citizen who saw someone that may be homeless and in need of some help. That led Behiel to call protective services and get some other services involved in the city.

“It bugged me and the other councillor so much that we actually got in our vehicles and started driving around to see if we could find those people,” Behiel said.

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Ultimately, Behiel said he did find the individual called about and he made sure they had a warm and safe place to stay, as well as warm clothes. Behiel said individuals situation wasn’t great but they were content and were amazed to see that someone would come check on them.

Behiel said he’s tried to do what he can to help those in need in Humboldt even before he became mayor.

“I don’t believe anybody, under any circumstances should be deprived of shelter, food, or safety,” he said. “Or basic personal respect.”

In the past, Behiel said he’s seen homeless individuals sitting in local coffee shops, and Behiel said people are willing to help those in need with food and a warm place to be.

Behiel encouraged the community to do their part to help out, whether it be giving something, or just kind words to those who may have fallen on hard times, especially in times of the current pandemic. He also said it’s important to know there are resources in the area to help including the soup kitchen, and Partners Family Services.

“There’s no shame in asking for help if you need help,” Behiel said. “That’s why we’re all here together as a community.”

He added it has become tougher for some local organizations to help with these type of things due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Behiel said recent government cuts to organizations that help with mental health, addictions, and homelessness are making it more difficult, and it has created a domino effect.

“We’re compounding everything with the fact that these things already exist, they’re getting to crisis levels,” he said. “And we’re seeing a lack of action and support to deal with them.”

There were dozens of comments on Behiel’s Facebook post giving contacts to local organizations as well as people saying they would do what they could to help and Behiel said he’s very proud of how the community comes together like that.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6