The closure of the only men’s shelter last Spring when the Salvation Army’s Centre of Hope closed was not good news for the city’s homeless.
It’s one observation from the 2015 Human Development Council’s Homelessness Report Card which finds that closure highlights the problem of hidden homeless and the need for the Housing First program to address the problem.
Jenny O’Connell is the HDC’s Community Development Coordinator and author of the Homelessness Report.
She says in order to end homelessness we have to move people immediately into housing and then the provide the supports to keep them they instead of taking steps in order deem a person ready for their own housing.
More than 2800 people in Saint John were living on either $537 or $576 a month at the end of 2014.
The report also finds the need for new housing stock since 43 per cent of Saint John’s housing stock was built before 1960.
To see the full report, click here
