N.B. contracts Ontario company to address affordable housing, insufficient shelter capacity

As homeless shelters in Moncton struggle with capacity and affordable housing remains in short supply provincewide, the New Brunswick government has hired an Ontario-based consultant to recommend best practices.

"OrgCode is a leader at the international level in reducing and ending homelessness," and the government is pleased to have its help, Social Development spokesperson Rebecca Howland, said in a written statement to CBC News.

It's been helping a number of shelters in the province to improve their services, she indicated.

It also consulted for the "tiger team" working group that was formed last fall to analyze the homelessness situation in Moncton, which had representatives from Social Development, Health, Justice and Public Safety and the Executive Council Office. 

OrgCode has now been contracted for this year by the department to provide "consultation services, technical expertise, input on strategical work, and training when required," she wrote.

It "will be paid on an hourly, as-needed basis."

"It's not that we need every shelter to offer services exactly the same. It's that we need to use the strengths of each shelter for the uniqueness of each person," said Iain De Jong, OrgCode's president and CEO.

In recent months, there has been insufficient shelter space in the Moncton area and there have been disagreements over the actual number of people experiencing homelessness, as well as over the need for a "wet shelter" for people with substance use issues.

There have also been reports of people being refused entry to shelters.

One thing that could help, said De Jong, is some type of forum for better cooperation between all service providers — "whether it's Social Development or another backbone organization that can pull shelters together."

Everyone could benefit from a group discussion about what is and isn't being done, who is doing what and what are the strengths of different organizations, he said — "as opposed to pointing fingers at deficits."

If all involved had a way to collaborate, said De Jong, they could better help people experiencing homelessness to navigate the system and access the best suited resources. He included hospitals and jails in that network.

"Social Development is now taking the lead in bringing organizations together," said Zineb Elouad, executive director of the House of Nazareth.

It operates the largest shelter in New Brunswick and experienced some organizational problems after a large expansion a few years ago.

"We are noticing positive changes and improvements," said Elouad. 

The board of directors of House of Nazareth also hired OrgCode, in May of 2022, she confirmed.

With OrgCode's help, House of Nazareth has implemented a "housing-focused" approach, enhancing its shelter system by adopting best practices, she wrote in an emailed response to some of the suggestions De Jong mentioned to CBC News.

He also recommends seeking better data in order to get to the root causes of homelessness and reduce the number of homeless people.

The reasons why people end up homeless over and over or for a long period of time are unique for every person, he said.

Having accurate, current information on each individual is key to being able to identify what resources may be needed for certain age groups, genders or cultural groups.

Front-line workers may be very busy "putting out fires," he said, but taking the time for regular data collection and entry into the national Homeless Individuals and Families Information System will make their job easier.

Elouad fully supports that idea, as well as De Jong's other advice.

"House of Nazareth has always taken an approach that includes data collection, transparency, communication, and collaboration with other stakeholders," she wrote.

House of Nazareth has gone through a period of renewal, said De Jong, and the leadership has made great strides.

Their emphasis on housing, case management and meeting people where they are stand out as achievements, he said.

He said they've been able to reach people who previously didn't have intensive supports and they've been able to get some people into long-term housing.

There's still room for improvement, he said, but he commended the shelter's staff for their commitment to continuous improvement.

There have been complaints from Moncton's downtown residents and businesses about the behaviour of some of the people experiencing homelessness.

Shelters often unfairly get the heat for off-property behaviours, said De Jong, but if homelessness is reduced, that will be less of an issue.

He said shelters should focus on creating a safe-space inside, so people are more likely to go there and not feel the need to leave.

They also need to increase access to housing.

Every time shelter beds and supports are increased, he said, there should also be an increase in rent supplements, new construction and acquisition of housing units.

"If not, people get bottlenecked again."

Diverse accommodations are needed, he said, including rooms for rent and prices geared to incomes.

It's a worthwhile investment, said De Jong. 

"It's more expensive to keep someone in homelessness than it is to house and support them," he said.

"That's been proven time and again."