Apartments offer extended support to homeless Saskatoon HIV/AIDS patients

Homeless people living with HIV or AIDS in Saskatoon are able to get support for alonger period thanks tonew transitional apartments in the city.

The ribbon was cut on the "Beehive" apartments Thursday morning, which includes 11 units.

• Saskatchewan's first HIV care home opens its doors in Saskatoon

"Homeless people living with HIV without support have a life expectancy of about five years. But if you give them housing and support, they can live a normal lifespan," said Morris Markentin, co-founder and board chair of Sanctum Care Group.

Markentin explained that Sanctum's existing facility only offered support to clients for three months. The Beehive will give the group another six months to build up people's health and help them transition into what Markentin called "mainstream life."

AIDS Saskatoon andSaskatoon Health Region staff will be on hand at the Beehive to provide support.

The apartments were developed by Stewart Properties. The money for the project comes from the federal Homelessness Partnering Strategy, which is administered locally by the Saskatoon Housing Initiatives Partnershipand the Community Advisory Board on Saskatoon Homelessness.

In the last year and a half since Sanctum opened its hospice care, it has housed 56 people.