Census of homeless in Fredericton finds at least 35 people sleeping outdoors

Volunteers trying to get an accurate count of the homeless population in Fredericton before winter hits say they've identified about 35 people so far, but there could be more in hidden places.

For the past three weeks, volunteers have been stopping people on the streets, outside tents, and along the city's trails and talking to them about what it's like to "live rough."

Fredericton Homeless Shelters board president Brian Duplessis, who helped organize the census, said work is underway to open an out-of-the-cold shelter.

A couple of possible locations are being considered.

In the meantime, Duplessis is urging the community to be tolerant and sympathetic.

Duplessis said he has heard from city officials that some members of the public have been complaining about homeless campers along the riverbank on the north side.

"They had some fires, and some smoke was coming off the fires, just to try to keep warm, and that was providing a nuisance to the housing nearby so they were removed" by police, he said.

"So we know that this is happening almost every day, that the people have to move from where they are," which makes getting an accurate picture of the number of people sleeping outdoors challenging.

The number also fluctuates virtually every day because some people find a couch to sleep on one night, or a doorway to sleep in another night, he said.

The volunteers decided to start three weeks early this year to try to avoid a repeat of last year, said Duplessis.

"If you can remember, right up into the middle of November there were no plans to put in place to be able to help those that were sleeping rough in Fredericton and it appeared like it was a crisis that just suddenly hit us."

The crisis could have been foreseen, he said, but there was no planning. 

"And we thought this year, if we get a better grip on who is there, why they were there, how many people were there, we would be able to help the province and the city and the planning efforts for this coming winter."

Volunteers have interviewed about 26 of the homeless people so far — eight women and 18 men, said Duplessis.

They women range in age from 18 to 57, with the average being 42, he said, while the men range from 20 to 65, or age 40, on average.

Many of the people they've interviewed have serious difficulties with addiction or mental health, said Duplessis.

He says there's a lot of misunderstanding and fear about the homeless and believes meeting them face-to-face "as people" helps.

"I'd love to take the politicians down and have a conversation and get them to know the individuals as individuals and not be afraid," he said.