Homelessness hub announcement 'forthcoming,' city says

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It’s been more than a month since the provincial government pledged to open homeless hubs in New Brunswick’s three major cities, but where Fredericton’s facility will be located remains unclear.

Sites have been chosen in Saint John and Moncton but not in Fredericton.

City spokesperson Jennifer Read said staff understand an announcement is “forthcoming,” but she referred questions to the provincial Department of Social Development.

Department spokesperson Rebecca Howland said service providers have been selected for all three cities, and “final preparations are being completed.”

“Hubs are scheduled to be fully operational by Dec. 1,” Howland said in an emailed statement.

“More details will be announced in partnership with municipalities, who we thank for their innovation, collaboration, and dedication to their communities.”

Plans were announced in September for “out-of-the-cold hubs” in Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John. The Moncton Lions Community Centre was identified as that city’s location, and Saint John’s shelter will be in a former police station near the city’s north end.

Last year’s out-of-the-cold shelter in Fredericton included 20 beds at the Small Craft Aquatic Centre.

City of Fredericton spokesperson Shasta Stairs referred questions to the province, but said the city expects a location will be made available and is “in full support of the initiative.”

Howland said shelter beds aren’t part of the proposed homelessness hubs, but they may provide temporary overflow if permanent shelters beds are full. She said the province has been working with other government departments, regional health authorities, communities, stakeholders, and municipal staff to determine which services should be available at the hubs.

Services will be customized to meet communities’ needs, Howland said, which have been identified with help from other departments and not-for-profit organizations in each community.

The lack of clarity on emergency shelters gained the attention of Liberal leader Susan Holt Oct. 31 in the legislature. She asked about the $8 million announced by former minister Dorothy Shephard to support the shelters and whether the funds were spent, how much is allocated for this winter, and where it will be spent.

Holt also questioned Social Development Minister Jill Green on why it’s taken a month to get shelters up and running after she previously pledged to have them in place Oct. 1.

Green didn’t say how much was spent last year or has been budgeted for this winter, but she said she’s had meetings in Fredericton and Moncton and had one planned for Saint John about what services should be in the hubs.

Green also said work began during the summer on the hubs. She said the delay was because some spaces didn’t exist over the summer in the form needed for out-of-the-cold hubs.

The hubs were originally intended to be open between mid-October and mid-November, Green said.

“We will have inreach teams and outreach teams in each city,” she said. “The outreach teams will be servicing areas greater than just the central urban areas that they are within. They will be going out into rural areas as well, where we also have homeless populations.”