Homelessness is a big concern in NB's three largest cities (Photo Credit: Free Images)
The City of Saint John has sent a letter to the Government of New Brunswick addressing homelessness and shelters.
The letter, sent to Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch, requests continued intervention from the province to respond to the “alarming situation” faced by those who are homeless in the city.
“Especially with the closure of the temporary shelter at the Saint John Stone Anglican Church on February 28, 2022,” reads the letter.
The letter discusses feedback received from shelter operators indicating there are increasing demands for shelter beds.
It also notes that many individuals are barred from Saint John shelters due to serious violations, meaning they are released to the public without basic shelter availability.
“Many individuals who are unable to access temporary shelters have been temporarily or permanently barred from Saint John shelters due to serious violations of shelter rules, including uttering threats, assault, stealing, among others,” outlines the letter.
“Shelters have reluctantly barred these individuals to maintain the safety of shelter workers and clients. These individuals are involved in a vicious and repetitive cycle of short interactions between shelters, health care, and law enforcement professionals, where they are released to the public without basic shelter availability.”
The letter also outlines there are many in the community that are unable to access homeless shelters and are at high risk of experiencing severe consequences due to the lack of government intervention.
It asks the provincial government to adequately fund the requirements of the existing local shelters, to ensure that shelters have sufficient funding to maintain critical services to Saint John’s homeless population.
“The City of Saint John has recently received a request from a recognized local shelter for over $400,000 of direct funding support to cover their transitional housing project,” said the letter, referring to an ongoing fundraising effort for the Coverdale Centre for Women’s transitional housing project.
“It is unacceptable that shelters find themselves in a situation where they are forced to request additional funding from municipal government. The Government of New Brunswick must fund these shelters to address their needs.”
You can view the full letter by clicking here.
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