New Moncton shelter behind schedule, but will be worth the wait: executive director

A new ’emergency shelter’ that officials are opening in Moncton is behind schedule, but the executive director says things are coming along well.

The House of Nazareth took over the building a month ago and the new target is to have it open by the end of August, says Jean Dubé.

He says they’re trying to take successes from the Old Brewery Mission, a Montreal shelter that aims to connect people to mental health and addictions services.

READ MORE: City orders Moncton homeless to leave tent site near former shelter

“What we saw from them is how they connected with exterior services with the health authorities,” Dubé says.

Volunteers have done a great job preparing the building since taking over, he says, and is looking forward to opening.

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“There will always be people needing assistance with filling their documents, finding food, getting help for their addictions, getting help for their mental health,” Dubé says. “That’s not going to go away.”

The building, which received $480,000 from provincial and federal governments in May, will operate as a ‘damp’ shelter on one floor, meaning people can be high or under the influence, and a ‘dry’ section for people are transitioning to a new life.

READ MORE: Looming closure of Out of the Cold shelter sparks calls for a ‘wet’ shelter in Moncton

“You try and have people for 30 days, you know, 45 days at the most and then you want to process them through the system,” Dubé says.

Just down the street, a tent city that’s had residents for months remains.

Trevor Goodwin, the senior director of outreach services for YMCA of Greater Moncton says less than 30 people are living there now, and they’ve helped at least six people find forms of housing. He’s hoping that continues with the new shelter.

“We’ll be hopefully getting people off the streets and into a place with a roof over their heads and some meals,” Goodwin says. “And like I said, immediate access to services.”

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Lisa Ryan, a community development coordinator with the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee, says the shelter will be a step in the right direction.

“Shelters are never the answer to homelessness,” she says. “However, they are necessary in the fight against homelessness to provide that emergency space.”

But, Ryan says affordable housing continues to be a challenge.

“We do have working groups that are working on different housing options, so we’re looking at the viability of rooming houses and what is it going to take for maybe non-profits to start owning them and restructuring them to fit our needs, we’re also looking at new builds,” Ryan says.

André Cormier, a city spokesperson, says there are no plans to uproot those living in the tent city due to the delay after the shelter was supposed to open at the start of the month, but says they’re looking at all options until it opens.