House of Nazareth backtracks on amount homeless will pay for place at shelter

House of Nazareth officials held a news conference Thursday to backtrack on the fees they intend to charge people staying at the emergency shelter in Moncton and to chastise critics of their plan.

Jean Dubé, House of Nazareth executive director, and Nicolas Parisi, president of the board of directors, faced reporters, a handful of Moncton city staff and some front-line workers to explain how the fee structure will be set up.

Contrary to what Dubé told CBC News last week, anyone receiving income assistance from the province who also has money deducted by Social Development for a "shelter fee" will not be charged to stay at the emergency shelter.

Last Friday, Dubé said the "objective" was that residents would pay $300 a month, and he explained that residents on social assistance would have to pay starting on day one.

But on Thursday, Dubé changed that, saying fees will not be charged during the first month of a person's stay, and residents will be given $144 toward a deposit if they move into more permanent housing.

"Once you've stayed more than a month, you will be charged accordingly, and if you have no money, you will not pay," he said.

Dubé also said a resident could be charged up to $300, but the total would be no more than 30 per cent of that person's income.

Some people staying at House of Nazareth receive pension money worth thousands of dollars a month, and they will have to pay the maximum amount, he said.

Dubé said that instead of charging rent to someone on social assistance who receives the basic amount of $537 per month from the government, he will ask the Department of Social Development to give the shelter $144 from that person's monthly cheque.  

Jean Bertin, a spokesperson for Social Development, confirmed in an email that once the shelter starts charging residents, the "shelter fee" will no longer be deducted from their social assistance cheques.

He said the amount the province has been deducting for the shelter fee is 25 per cent of the total monthly cheque, which for some recipients means $144 deducted from a $576 cheque.

Bertin said the shelter will be responsible for collecting any fees, but if a resident wants to sign over a portion of the social assistance money to go straight to House of Nazareth, that would be possible. 

"This practice is already in place for other shelters, landlords and public utilities, for example," said Bertin.

'It's shameful, it's an insult'

Dubé shared his feelings about those who criticized House of Nazareth's plans to charge fees. Critics included residents and Charles Burrell, the Humanity Project founder who operated an emergency shelter last winter, and Trevor Goodwin, the senior director at YMCA ReConnect.

"I find that very unprofessional, and its shameful," Dubé said of the criticism.

He said organizations should be working together to combat homelessness, not fighting among themselves.  

Dubé said he wouldn't name names, but added: "You know who you are."

House of Nazareth opened its new shelter, which can accommodate 115 people, earlier this winter. 

Dubé has maintained since he first announced charging people to stay there that the fees are in the Albert Street shelter's business plan.

But he said the 15-year business plan would not be made public because it cost "several" thousand dollars and he didn't want another organization to use it.

"It's our plan, we paid for it, it's private and we're going to keep it to the board of directors."

Parisi said the fee plan was shared with the province and the federal government, but not with the City of Moncton because, "the contribution that we received from the city is thin."

The federal and provincial governments helped finance the purchase of the shelter building.

The city declined to comment but said the House of Nazareth asked for and received grants of $25,000 for 2019, 2020 and 2021.