‘Why?’ Sask. senior fights order to leave longtime home

The province is reviewing a policy requiring seniors to move at 65 after a Regina woman refused relocation and was allowed to stay. Wayne Mantyka reports.

A Saskatchewan woman facing eviction from her public housing unit has been granted a temporary reprieve.

Deb Stumph had been told she would need to move out of her Saskatchewan Housing apartment by the end of May. That order is now on hold.

“I told them I’m not going. Like why? I keep asking that question. Why?” said Stumph.

The province has been encouraging older tenants in public housing to relocate into seniors’ housing, a move it says would free up more units for families. Earlier this week, a group of tenants raised concerns directly with the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation.

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“Jenson, the minister, he was very understanding and wanted to listen and wanted to come up with some solutions,” said tenant Rickey Lamha.

Tenants argue they don’t understand why seniors and families cannot coexist within the same buildings.

“The young people want to move in there, let them move into the seniors places downtown. A lot of young people like to be downtown at the Cornwall Centre and stuff like that, you know. I just don’t like the policy,” Stumph said.

The provincial government maintains the policy is clearly outlined in tenant leases, noting it has been in place for years and applies across Saskatchewan.