Moncton shelter hopes to double capacity in light of growing homeless population

Harvest House Shelter in Moncton is hoping to double its number of affordable housing units for the homeless.

Cal Maskery says the move was prompted by the closure of several rooming houses in the city, a lack of affordable housing in Greater Moncton and an increase in the number of people in need of help at the homeless shelter.

“It is getting harder and harder all the time,” he said of people to find an affordable places to live.

Maskery says Harvest House is planning to double the number if “step-up” housing units it offers over the next two to three years.

“Right now, we have 36 rooms — 28 for men and eight for women — and our goal is to make 72 beds.”

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A new nine-bed step-up home for women is now under construction behind the shelter and should be complete by April.

Maskery said it was made possible by $85,000 in funds from Canada’s Homeless Partnering Strategy.

Mascakery is also hoping to access federal and provincial money this spring to renovate another house across the street from the shelter into a step-up housing facility for men, many of whom are being forced into shelters that are already over stressed, he said.

“I never thought we would see mats on the floor but we are over-run in the men’s section with mats on the floor.”

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Unlike subsidized rooming houses, Harvest House’s step-up housing requires people to take part in education, job, volunteer programs and/or life counselling programs in order to quality for a room that is paid for by the province.

Roxanne Rupps, the community development coordinator for the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee, says its housing assessment and review team has a growing priority list of homeless individuals with currently no available placements.

She added that ReConnect Street Intervention Program — which offers housing search services — has an ever-shrinking list of rooming houses to refer people to as well.

“If landlords have units available for single individuals that are below market rent, if they could contact ReConnect, I assure you, ReConnect will be able to fill them.”

Anyone interested in creating more affordable housing in the city can apply for funding assistance with Social Development and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for affordable housing development, conversion and/or renovations,” Rupps said.