'It takes all of us': Homelessness forum hears from community

Humanity Project founder Charles Burrell says he believes homelessness will be solved by the community working together. 

"It takes all of us. It's not going to take the rich or the poor, it's going to take all of us to help solve this issue." 

Burrell was one of the panellists who took part in a forum on Moncton's affordable housing crisis. 

Close to 300 people filled the Peter McKee Community Food Centre Tuesday night to hear from panellists, to ask questions of their own or to offer suggestions. 

Burrell said what he's learned from running a damp shelter this winter is that homelessness can't be solved with cookie cutter solutions. 

"For every person that I've ever met that was homeless, their reasons for being homeless are as unique as the individuals themselves." 

Finding services to help each person is key, said Burrell, a sentiment echoed by Headstart founder and former Moncton MP Claudette Bradshaw, who said it begins with community.

"Too often, we've created programs for poverty, for mental health that … fail," she said. "So we've got to make sure there are no more programs where they fail." 

Burrell was joined on the panel by Lisa Ryan, director of YMCA Moncton ReConnect Street Intervention Program and Vincent Merola, the City of Moncton's community development officer for social inclusion. 

CBC's Vanessa Blanch moderated the forum that was live streamed on CBC New Brunswick Facebook page, on Twitter and on cbc.ca/nb.

Seeking Shelter: A Community Conversation about Homelessness is a CBC project that has included interviews with advocates and experts and with people who have experienced homelessness, some of them featured in the following Q&As.

The project grew out of CBC reporting last fall on problems facing homeless people as the weather got colder.

The goal was to bring people in the community and from across the province together to discuss possible solutions to housing insecurity.