The chair of Fredericton’s community action group on homelessness says there should be an announcement about a temporary out-of-the-cold shelter soon, but that more permanent solutions for the city’s homeless population need to be found.
Joan Kingston said she expects Social Development will be making an announcement in the near future.
“Well I can’t say for sure exactly when except I know that it is soon and I’m thinking we’re looking in terms of days not weeks at this point,” she said.
READ MORE: Fredericton homeless population seek update on winter shelter offerings
Kingston says work to arrange a temporary shelter for this winter has been almost ongoing since last year’s Brunswick Street shelter closed, but notes that it’s important to continue addressing the underlying issues that make emergency shelters necessary.
“The out-of-the-cold (shelter) unfortunately is a necessity because of the weather but I think that it’s important when we do this initiative it’s important to be thinking about what happens after that,” she said.
“How are are we working towards less need for emergency shelters?”
In the last month, a small tent city has popped up behind Government House, with over a dozen people erecting temporary shelters.
“The plan is to stay here as long as we can, hopefully they will have an emergency shelter open because we’ve all got our names in for subsidized housing but so far we’re all just waiting,” tent city resident Donald McLeod told Global News in October.
Last year the opening of the temporary shelter was delayed by permit and zoning issues. When it did open with a 20-bed capacity, it was full almost constantly through the winter.
Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard was not made available for an interview, but a spokesperson for the department confirmed that an announcement is coming soon.
“We don’t have anything official to share today, but we’ll have something to announce in the very near future,” wrote Jean Bertin in an email.
For now, St. Paul’s Church will be operating a temporary warming centre that Bertin says will be open until the department can roll out its plan for this winter.
But Kingston says focus needs to be on providing a long-term solution, which involves finding permanent housing for those who need it.
“Everything we do has got to have that longer term goal in mind and I think that we’ll see that that goal or that focus will be continuing through the winter and into the spring,” she said.
“When you think about an emergency shelter system what you’re thinking of is an entry into a circumstance that will help them to find permanent housing and that’s what the housing first movement is all about.”
Help in the form of affordable housing is on the way. Earlier this year the provincial government signed a 10-year, $300-million agreement with the federal government to implement a strategy called A Home for Everyone.
The strategy would see the construction of 922 units for individuals, families and seniors in need of housing as well as “300 housing options” for the homeless by 2029.
READ MORE: Zoning bylaw prevents temporary homeless shelter from opening in Fredericton
As part of that project, a new housing project on Saint Mary’s Street opened on Oct. 1. Funding for the Saint Mary’s Street apartments came from United Way, the John Howard Society and the provincial government. The City of Fredericton also waived permit and water hookup fees.
The housing project has four units and cost $245,000 to build.
Kingston says awareness around Fredericton’s homelessness issue is increasing, leading to more calls for action from government.
“Homelessness is often very hidden and I think one of the things that’s happened over the last couple years is people are saying, yes there are people living on the street, there are people sleeping rough,” she said.
“There are reasons why they are and they need our help and they need the community working towards solutions for them and with them.”
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