University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers used well-established methods to calculate the social return on investment (SROI) of Saskatoon's recently closed safe consumption site and have found that the location provided more than a 300 per cent return on investment for the community.
While a standard return on investment (ROI) strictly measures money invested against dollars gained or lost, an SROI looks at economics alongside the social and environmental outcomes, expressing the broader impact in financial terms.
A team of USask researchers and co-investigators calculated the social return on investment (SROI) of Saskatoon's safe consumption site. From left to right: Aly Welder, Dr. Maryellen Gibson, Dr. Barbara Fornssler, Kayla DeMong, Maggie Coupland, Dr. Linzi Williamson, and Evan Poncelet. Not pictured: James Dixon. (Photo: Submitted)
Using the SROI process developed by Social Value International, the research team assigned a dollar value to different aspects of the safe consumption site services, including the people who accessed the site and municipal organizations such as the Saskatoon Fire Department. These dollar values are decided upon by an internationally recognized framework and a process known as monetary value conversion. The total value was then divided by the amount it cost to operate the service to find the return on investment.
"We used a very conservative estimate to make sure we weren't over claiming and found that for every $1.00 that was invested into the safe consumption site, you got a return of $4.44," said Dr. Linzi Williamson (PhD), assistant professor of psychology and health studies in USask's College of Arts and Science.
The team recently published the findings of this study in Frontiers in Public Health. The paper outlines the research methodology used and depicts how safe consumption sites can positively impact individuals and have other benefits to the community, such as taking the strain off emergency services.
Williamson said she hopes this study can act as a bridge, bringing together groups to mobilize conversations on safe consumption sites and other harm-reduction measures.
"The calculated return on investment was for all groups, but we did find that the greatest value was for services users and the broader Saskatoon community. The study also assessed the reduced burden on Saskatoon systems and services like firefighters and EMS (emergency medical services). Altogether it was a net positive value," said Williamson.
Dr. Barb Fornssler (PhD), assistant professor at USask's School of Public Health, reinforces that financial costs and demonstrating social value in economic terms can be crucial to these types of programs.
"What I love about SROI is that it allows for two often disparate conversations to come together at the same table. It's really important for people who use substances to express what they value, and having that translated into economic language allows policymakers and government decision-makers to understand that value and how that translates to funding. It's really cool knowledge translation that could benefit a lot of community-based organizations," said Fornssler.
Dr. Maryellen Gibson (PhD), a recent graduate from the Department of Sociology in USask's College of Arts and Science and a research associate in the School of Public Health, played a significant role in the data collection. The study focused on Saskatoon's only safe consumption site, which closed in April 2026, after the study was complete.
According to Gibson, what made this safe consumption site unique was that it was funded by the community, which saw value in the program. This value has now been translated by the research team into a tangible economic figure. "We're seeing consumption sites being vilified across the nation as being these harbingers of disease and despair, but I think our findings show that that's not the case. Not only do they have this economic benefit, but from talking to our participants, we know that it is having a real human impact on people's lives. These locations can be life-changing for them, but also for entire communities," said Gibson.
