The Road to End Chronic Homelessness in Fredericton
Faith McFarland works across the street from the homeless shelter that houses people she tries to help every day. She became the coordinator of the Community Action Group on Homelessness (CAHG) because she wanted to help more people. She describes it as her dream job. Previously at the YCMA, she helped people on a case-by-case basis, but this position helps her address the social issue. When she heard about their work with the Housing First approach, she was sold.
“Once I started learning about Housing First, it was a real lightbulb moment.”
With the city, other non-profit organizations and local businesses, CAHG has been working with the Housing First Method over the past 3 years to try to erase the cycle of homelessness.
The Housing First Approach
The Community Action Group on Homelessness (CAGH) wants to use the Housing First method to end chronic homelessness. They have been working to implement it since 2015.
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While other housing options look at potential tenant’s employment records, mental illness, and addiction records, Housing First’s priority is to house anyone who needs it.
Housing First believes when people have a home, they can focus on pursuits that will improve their quality of life, such as employment and managing their addictions.
As a result, they stay off the street.
In Alberta, where the government has dedicated themselves to the Housing First model, 73 per cent of the program’s participants stay permanently housed.
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“In our community, in terms of self-reported data, [the average time a homeless person has been homeless] is 8 months. In Medicine Hat, Alberta, it’s 9 days,” McFarland said.
Numerous studies say Housing First saves cities money as well. When people are housed, they don’t use costly services such as ambulances, jails, police, and shelters.
To Mike O’Brien, mayor of Fredericton, forecasted savings are just another reason the city is investing money and time into the project.
“We can help people and collect property tax off of it.”
On March 19, when the groups involved with Housing First presented their progress to the municipal government, the mayor and counsellors praised the numerous benefits of the program.
“I think, as a counsellor, [moving forward with the Housing First program] is something we need to have a strong conversation on and soon,” said John MacDermid, Fredericton city counsellor.
McFarland agrees, but she wants action behind the words.
“The municipal government has endorsed the plan through council at two different times, but again they’re not taking any measures to support it or follow through.”
Into the System
Across from McFarland’s office, Warren Maddox, executive director of the Fredericton Homeless Shelters sits behind his desk at the St. John’s Centre for Men. His days consist of external administrative tasks. He deals with the government, his staff, and the company’s communication.
But one of his main occupations is making sure both the women and men’s shelters have enough money to keep running for 23 hours a day.
He says if they got better funding support from the government, they could do more.
Right now, the shelters two provide health services and food to the residents while operating on a budget of $57,000 each.
But with $200,000 in government funding, Maddox says the shelter would be able to have full-time mental health support and 10 more beds.
“They’re cheaping us is what they’re doing. $57,000 dollars per shelter is insufficient. It’s unacceptable.”
Helping Hands
But the people of Fredericton are helping too.
Coldest Night of the Year is an annual march hosted in Canadian cities. People make teams and donate money in the name of raising awareness on homelessness.
This year, $4,955,061 was raised across 121 locations.
The John Howard Society and Youth in Transition are the hosts and organizers of Fredericton’s branch, which raised $14,463 this year.
“It’s a great initiative every year and it’s always great to see everyone out there. It shows that they care about the issue [of homelessness].”
Local students from St. Thomas University participated in Coldest Night of the Year as part of STUCares, a bi-annual university-wide volunteer event.
They learned from McFarland and other presenters as part of their volunteer initiative that a Fredericton without homelessness was possible.
Christina Hogan, a fourth-year student at St. Thomas University always wanted to find more ways to help the homeless she saw struggling on the street. Now she knows the actions her city is taking against homelessness and what she can do to help.
“I had never learned how much had actually went on with housing and homelessness in Fredericton.”
Taking what she’s learned, she wants to help out when she can with the various institutions helping the homeless like the Community Kitchens.
In the past, the City of Fredericton has made it easier for its residents to help the homeless with the installation of “kindness meters.” Citizens’ donations to the repurposed parking meters went directly to the Fredericton Community Kitchens and Fredericton Homeless Shelters.
Last summer, it was reported that the meters made over $10,000, even amidst complaints about the impersonal quality of the charity meters.
Moving Forward
As of March, the Housing First capital campaign has raised $1 million toward building 40 rowhouses for Housing First.
“I’m so impressed that people from the private sector have said that it’s that important. These are individual citizens who have made that investment,”
And despite some criticism, the government is supportive of the project. They are working on changing policies so city lots can be donated for Housing First homes.
- The City of Fredericton found (Caitlin Dutt)
And Mayor Mike O’Brien remains confident the project will move forward.
“If the city would be comfortable with doing something [with Housing First] with some of those remnant lots…that will allow the project to start.”
The town of Medicine Hat, Alberta has driven down the average duration of homelessness to 9 days and McFarland believes, with Housing First, Fredericton is moving in the same direction.
“Other people have done it. It’s entirely possible here…If we can make sure that we’re working together as a system, I think we can pull it off.”