St. Stephen finally gets long-term homeless shelter

After much back and forth last winter, St. Stephen will now be getting a long-term homeless shelter.

Neighbourhood Works, the local non-profit that ended up running the temporary shelter last year, announced Wednesday afternoon it would also run the long-term shelter, in partnership with the provincial government.

This comes after challenges finding a location for the shelter.

The last time the province announced finalized plans for a temporary shelter, on Happy Valley Road, it was shut down by a crowd of residents at a meeting in January.

A temporary shelter was arranged by Neighbourhood Works in February, but it closed when spring arrived.

A news release from the group said the centre will include an out-of-the-cold shelter from December through April, as well as act as a long-term "homeless hub," offering outreach services.

"This resource will be a safe space, offering not only shelter but also vital resources: meals, outreach support, harm reduction supplies, showers, laundry, and more," the release said. An opening date "is still being finalized."

Despite the breakthrough on finding a shelter location, local community leaders involved with the process were not reachable for comment.

CBC News requested an interview with Jim Stuart, the executive director of Neighbourhood Works, after he put out the news release. But he said in an email he is "not in a position to speak today."

St. Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon. Minister of Social Development Cindy Miles was not made available by the department for an interview, either.

PC MLA for Saint Croix, Kathy Bockus, was involved with the search for a shelter location under the Higgs government, but was also not made available for an interview by the PC caucus.

Masonic Hall on Main Street chosen

The location will be at 9 Main St., which is site of the Masonic Hall. Several real estate websites show the property was up for sale this fall, but property records show it is still owned by the Masonic Lodge.

"St. Stephen is creating a community where everyone has a safe place to go at night, where no one faces the fear of surviving another cold season without support," the news release said.

Last winter, it was estimated that St. Stephen's homeless population was about 100, but it's unclear if that number has changed. 

The government was unable to find a location for a full-time shelter, but during the election a spokesperson for Social Development hinted that plans would be released in the near future.

Wednesday's release appeared to allude to issues with finding a location that suits everybody.

"We know that some community members may have some fears and concerns," it said.

The group has invited anyone with concerns to "join or participate in discussions with its advisory board, ensuring that we address concerns and uphold our commitment to a safe, welcoming environment for all."

The release also said that previous "temporary fixes" for the problem had fallen short.

"We know that this affects our entire community — when our neighbours suffer, our collective sense of security and compassion suffers as well."