Charlottetown's Park Street working well as outreach centre location, operators say

The Community Outreach Centre in Charlottetown has been running more smoothly since it moved to Park Street in March, its operators say — but its days there may be numbered.

The Adventure Group receives provincial funding to run the centre, which supports people struggling with housing and mental health problems. It's operating on a one-year variance permit granted by the City of Charlottetown.

In the summer, the province applied to the city for an extension not just for the outreach centre, but for the adjacent emergency overnight shelter as well. The permit for the homeless shelter expires in December. The extension would have no end date.

And Charlottetown's council has not yet ruled on the application. A city spokesperson said Wednesday that the application will go before a council committee this month. A public meeting will be held before a full-council decision is made, likely in December.

"Even though this is a provincial initiative, we want to work with them, the outreach centre and its clients, as well as local residents and other stakeholders to find an appropriate and suitable solution for everyone," the city said in a statement to CBC News.

Roxanne Carter-Thompson, executive director of The Adventure Group, told a provincial legislative committee on Wednesday that the current location is better suited to serve the needs of clients than its previous location in the old curling club building on Euston Street.

"It is a better area in our community because it has the least amount of impact… We are better positioned to be able to create a safer environment."

Operators said 248 people used the centre in August, which they said was consistent with traffic in the previous location. The numbers generally go up in the fall, they said.

Of the 248 people, they said 74 per cent identified as male and 26 per cent as female. Six per cent were Indigenous. Five per cent of the clientele were not P.E.I. residents.

The centre was the focus of many complaints about littering, loitering and drug use during its time on Euston Street. Residents pleaded with city officials to move it.

We have implemented a good neighbour program in which our staff go out and they patrol the streets to see if there's needles, or if there's anything that we can take care of for the community.— Roxanne Carter-Thompson

Carter-Thompson said those issues have been reduced in the new location. 

"We have implemented a good neighbour program in which our staff go out and they patrol the streets to see if there's needles, or if there's anything that we can take care of for the community to be able to ensure a safer community for all."

She said the physical space at Park Street is also safer for staff and clients, with better sight lines and screening capabilities. There is also an area set up specifically for a new 11-week life management program that started this week.

"This is just a much better area, set out for learning," Carter-Thompson said.

Exploring other locations

Meanwhile, a task force made up of community leaders is being set up to explore options for a permanent location should the province's application be denied. 

In the end, she said, it may find that Park Street is the best location.

"I think it needs to be close to the downtown core but also in a place that is less residential, so the location that we're in now is is prime candidate," Carter-Thompson said, though she added: "There may be other areas as well that we haven't thought of."