Moncton group faces ongoing challenges to address homelessness

Groups are struggling to house people in Moncton as hundreds continue to live on the streets.

The Greater Moncton Homeless Steering Committee (GMHSC) is working to address the city’s growing homelessness crisis, but significant challenges remain.

Recent efforts have helped house 29 people out of an estimated 480 currently experiencing homelessness.

“The economy is different,” said Andrea Anne, community coordinator for the committee. “The inflow is a lot larger than what our outflow is right now.

“We really just need to work together as a community to understand that these are individuals that have a right to housing.”

Kristen Seeley, director of programs and services with Salvus in Moncton, emphasized the often-overlooked challenges faced by those leaving congregation-like settings.

“The transition is going to look different for every person,” Seeley said. “They’re essentially losing their entire community and suddenly they’re in a new place that’s unknown to them.”

Seeley described the clinic’s efforts to rebuild community through peer support and various programs like walking and art groups. She stressed the importance of acknowledging the subjective nature of success.

“Success is so subjective. What might seem like a small win...to someone else could be huge,” Seeley said.

Seeley highlighted the daily successes witnessed at the clinic, ranging from commitment to recovery to maintaining housing stability.

Shannon Berry, senior director of community outreach with the YMCA of Greater Moncton, stresses that even small victories, such as securing financial assistance or a damage deposit, represent significant steps forward for individuals facing hardship.

“When you’re looking at the larger numbers...sometimes it can be hard to see or acknowledge the progress that is being made,” she said. “But when you’re speaking with individuals and they’re navigating into housing...those wins...are impactful and have ripple effects in the community.”

The YMCA’s approach includes post-housing support, addressing the challenges of maintaining stability and preventing relapse into homelessness.

Anne expressed concern over the “NIMBYism” – not in my backyard – attitude prevalent in some segments of the population.

“It is in our backyard,” she said. “It’s in our community. And these are our community members. They deserve a place to stay and a place to live and a place to feel safe.”

Seeley urged understanding and community building.

“It was storming out today – I how awful would it be to be sleeping in a tent during those conditions – but when we build buildings or move someone into a neighborhood in it’s like, whoa, whoa, I didn’t want them housed here that’s not my community this is my neighborhood… but we need to get to is a space where it’s everybody’s neighborhood we’re all a community,” Seeley said.

While the province aims to house more individuals by December, Anne’s ultimate hope is broader.

“I’d like to see everyone housed. Food in their belly and clothes on their back because nobody... wants to be homeless,” she said.

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