The death of a man in a Saint John tent encampment last weekend has prompted action from the province.
A homeless hub that was scheduled to open in late April will now be up and running several months sooner.
It should be open before the end of January, Social Development Minister Jill Green told reporters on Thursday.
“We’ve had an emergency meeting with the local MLAs and the mayor and her team. They’ve made a request that we are going to fulfil,” said Green.
The hub will be located in a government building on Somerset Street, where there is also an out-of-the-cold shelter.
Green acknowledged that the death of Evan McArthur, along with the community advocacy, played a role in getting the timeline sped up.
McArthur died on Jan. 7, one day after a fire broke out in a tent encampment located in Saint John’s north end.
“We had been focusing on the out-of-the-cold shelter in that particular building. There are two more floors that we can do some great things on,” she said.
“We had worked collaboratively with the community for the April start, but the hand was raised and we’ve found a way to get it done faster.”
The minister said the hub will provide a place for people experiencing homelessness to get out of the cold.
It will also offer wraparound services to prevent homelessness and support unhoused residents year-round, such as health care, housing, and helping them to get government IDs.
Green said the hub will also help build relationships with people experiencing homelessness, acknowledging that trust issues are why some people do not feel comfortable in shelters.
“They can come in, get warmed up, start building relationships with us. We know it takes time; it’s not instant and you have to build relationships with them,” she said.
According to the minister, the province also has outreach teams in place, which serve as a street presence for unsheltered people seeking support and services.
