Concern is building in Fredericton following the deaths of two homeless people this week.
Authorities say they died of natural causes, but for the homeless, nothing can be considered natural.
One of the men died inside the city's men's shelter.
"It's very unfortunate because the reality is, these deaths of preventable," says Tim Ross, who runs the Community Action Group on Homelessness.
Ross says that while both men died due to what officials label as natural causes, he believes homelessness was a contributing factor in their deaths.
He also says those who live on the street face an increased risk of medical problems.
"It's just an onslaught of chronic health conditions," says Ross. "A lack of personal security, a lack of access to safe, affordable housing and not getting enough to eat."
Shelley Robart runs both of the city's emergency shelters and she has seen firsthand how the difficulties associated with homelessness lead to a shortened life expectancy.
"The life that's led…it compounds the problem, that they seem to have a shorter life, per se," she says.
A shelter user who identified himself only as Jonathan says dealing with the chronic health problems brought on by poverty isn't easy. He also says the system can be confusing and frustrating.
"They point me off in some direction, but that place, that's wrong," he says. "That's not where I go, or they don't actually know what's out there right off the bat. They maybe have to do some searching around themselves."
The two deaths this week make it a total of four deaths in Fredericton's homeless community in less than a year.
Advocates for the homeless say the access to more affordable housing would be the easiest way to prevent that number from growing.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell
