In Saint John, N.B., the number of people living unsheltered or precariously housed has hit more than 600, according to Fresh Start, a non-profit organization in the port city.
Melanie Vautour, its executive director, says she found the original by-names list for the organization, which only contained 14 names.
“This is being driven by poverty,” she said. “We have to really remember that, people are forced out, and then all of the things that happen there make it harder to get them back in.”
After three people died in encampment fires, and some threw an incendiary device at encampments on Waterloo Street, the on-the-ground groups urged government to take action.
It created Somerset ACRES, a housing initiative from NB Housing.
“But this is not an encampment, it’s not a homeless site, it’s housing,” she said. “It’s up to 25 people are going to have a home and that’s a good thing.”
How it works
Somerset ACRES employs the housing-first model.
According to a web page about the project, it “incorporates a support system that includes healthcare, education, family, employment, and social welfare. This strategy relies on collaborative support networks to promote stability and eliminate factors that cause or prolong homelessness.”
There will be a selection process for those chosen to live there by the Department of Social Development in collaboration with Fresh Start, who will manage the site.
Individuals who are chosen to get a unit must demonstrate a willingness to participate in programs to improve their well-being and success in their prospective housing.
Get weekly health news
“We already are doing this in a scattered housing model,” Vautour said. “There is a lot of things in this location that can provide those wraparound supports. We know individuals can be success with all of those supports around them.”
Each unit has a self-contained bathroom, a small kitchenette and storage for clothing and belongings.
The supports are trauma-informed including learning about budgeting, accessing community supports, health care and mental health, steps toward reunification with children, tenancy development skills and much more.
Not an encampment
It is not a support encampment site, unlike the one at Waterloo Street.
Julia Woodhall-Melnik said the containers set up in the early spring were an emergency response after the three deaths and incident of arson in the winter.
“That was a very emergent response,” she said in an interview. “This one here is also an urgent response because we do want people in housing but they’re being supported along that journey while that housing stock is being made available.”
The containers were designed to help ensure the survival of as many people living unsheltered as possible.
“The encampment site was just to keep people alive in the winter,” she said. “There were deaths in the city. I’ve personally seen folks with gange-green and frost bite on digits.”
She supports the model given the length of time it takes to create and build housing.
“This might prove to be a good solution for at least doing some crisis management and control,” Woodhall-Melnik said.
Though the units will have kitchenettes, she said, the communal kitchens do draw some concern for her — explaining it could create more food insecurity.
“I think it would be really great to consider stacking that kitchen themselves with food, with utensils, to try and decrease potential for food insecurity amongst the people using or living (there).”
Woodhall-Melnik said Fresh Start is a good organization to be managing it because they are using the science that proves to be successful.
She said this model is reminiscent of the 91-tiny-homes project in Fredericton called 12 Neighbours.
The government response
Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon said while housing is a provincial responsibility, the city is eager to support this initiative.
The city recently released its housing for all strategy, which could include the creation of green zones.
She said the city is doing all the water, sewer and design work in kind to assist the project moving forward.
The hope is Somerset ACRES will be ready to have people housed before the winter comes.
Comments