New Brunswick strategy aims for ‘historic shift’ in homelessness by 2029

New Brunswick’s new provincial homelessness strategy aims to reduce chronic homelessness by more than 40 per cent by 2029.

Chronic homelessness is defined as being unhoused for at least 180 days in a year, or repeatedly for a total of 18 months over three years.

In its strategy released Thursday, the province identified housing affordability, income insecurity, health, and social inclusion as top challenges that are driving homelessness.

The housing minister said three new bridge housing projects are coming soon: one in Bathurst and two in Moncton.

The next bridge housing projects that are being identified are in Bathurst, with two more in Moncton.

“They are all intended as housing for people either coming directly out of homelessness or out of some form of system and into a type of housing that is meant to be temporary that is meant to set them up in a foundation,” said Housing Minister David Hickey.

2:02 New Brunswick to spend $7.4 million in emergency funding to help homeless people

According to the City of Saint John, 61 new people became homeless over just three months beginning in August — raising the total to 437 by October.

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“That’s why we’ve got key organizations around the table that are in (the) community, people like the human development council who have led a lot of this work and continue to lead a lot of our work on the data side of understanding the landscape of homelessness in the province,” said Hickey.

Officials called it a “historic shift” in approach. In the past, homelessness fell solely under the Department of Social Development.

The latest strategy establishes a task force made up of ministers from housing, public safety, local government, and addictions and mental health, along with social development.

“I think they did a good job at organizing a lot of activities under four guiding principles and the first principle was acting as one government and so that was nice to see that commitment,” said Greg Bishop, senior director of the Human Development Council in Saint John.

He says he welcomes the plan’s emphasis on prevention and diversion strategies.

The plan also acknowledges housing as a human right and commits to data-driven decision making.

2:00 Saint John declaring certain areas off limits for homeless encampments