St. Stephen, N.B., drop-in centre to add sleeping accommodations, previous shelter plan 'on pause'

New Brunswick Minister of Seniors Kathy Bockus (left) and Minister of Social Development Jill Green (right) are pictured on Feb. 8, 2024.

The New Brunswick government will expand a drop-in centre in St. Stephen to allow for sleeping accommodations.

The centre originally opened at 59 Union Street in mid-December, and going forward it will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until mid- to late April, according to a government news release.

“Everyone deserves a warm, safe space to sleep,” says Jill Green, social development minister, who is also responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation.

The release says the provincial and municipal governments, along with Neighbourhood Works, collaborated to expand the drop-in centre.

St. Stephen originally planned to put a shelter on Happy Valley Road, but some residents and people who work in the area heavily resisted the idea.

At a meeting between community members and officials, MLA Kathy Bockus said the Happy Valley Road shelter would be “on pause.”

“The municipal district will continue to focus on longer-term supportive housing solutions and support development of a task force that will identify the types of housing and support required,” the government wrote in the release.

Jim Stuart, executive director of Neighbourhood Works, says having safe and supportive spaces in St. Stephen has been “top of mind” for the community.

“We are pleased to be able to expand our service offerings temporarily, until a more permanent supportive housing solution can be secured. I want to thank the province, municipality and the community for their continued support in this important work,” says Stuart in the release.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.