The City of Saint John will be looking to the province for more help with a growing homeless population in the area. Council has accepted a motion to have staff draw up a plan before bringing it to the province.
According to Coun. David Hickey, the plan would look to community leaders (city council) to “set the table” on a working strategy, noting that this will provide a clear-cut plan to go to the provincial government.
According to the latest data from the Human Development Council, there were 183 people living on the street in Port City, which is an increase from the month before.
“Instead of just saying we’re constantly going to provide service and figure out service, let’s make sure that the service is focused on outcomes, that says, yes there are enough shelter beds, but we’re going to build clear pathways to sustainable housing,” said Hickey in an interview with Global News on Wednesday.
“We want you (the province) to fund homelessness, and here’s how to do it.”
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At the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, researchers are diving into different ways to solve homelessness in Saint John, with one of those being a focus on housing.
Julia Woodhall-Melnik’s team’s research looks at a housing-first strategy, which aims to provide sustainable housing for those living on the streets.
The price tag to house youth living on the street is roughly $675,000 a year for 45 youths. She said that even if the province dished out the money, the city doesn’t have enough supply to fill the need.
“It might be as simple as the government opening up rent supports for folks, and let’s find a program that can administer housing in a comprehensive way,” said Woodhall-Melnik.
“I look at the government and say: just do it yourself (build units). You own your own red tape. Start your own publicly-funded construction company. These will be assets that will belong to you and I, the public.”
She said that adding support solely to shelters won’t fix the issue and that those shelters can provide a mental strain for those who may be placed in a shelter with others who are struggling with mental health.
Statistics provided by the city indicate 36 per cent of all renters live in housing that is not affordable.
According to Coun. Brent Harris, there are currently about 1,500 people in Saint John looking for housing.
— with files from Robert Lothian
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