Hub for homeless resources in Saint John to open in weeks, not months, following encampment death

A “one-stop shop” for homeless resources in Saint John will be open by the end of January, instead of April as originally planned.

The sped up timeline for Saint John’s so-called homeless hub follows the death of 44-year-old Evan McArthur this past weekend.

McArthur suffered severe burns in a fire at a Saint John homeless encampment on Saturday night and died the following day. 

When asked by reporters on Thursday if McArthur’s death had any impact on the hub’s opening being moved sooner, Social Development Minister Jill Green responded “it definitely had something to do with it.”

Around 300 people attended a vigil for McArthur on Tuesday night at Kings Square, calling for immediate action. 

Green said an emergency meeting was held between the department, city officials, and local MLAs, where it was requested for the hub’s opening to be prioritized before April.

“The hand was raised and said ‘please help us, let’s move faster,’ and we found a way to get it done faster,” said Green.

Outflow Ministry will operate the hub at 344 Somerset St. in the city’s north end.

It’s the same location where Outflow operates the city’s temporary Out of the Cold shelter, scheduled to continue until April.

Tony Dickinson, a director at Outflow, said the new homeless hub will break down barriers for clients to access services and also put community groups on the same page.

“This will allow us to work very closely with other agencies, government departments and what not,” said Dickinson. “It’s like a one-stop shop for everything you need to manage while you are homeless, and to ultimately exit homelessness.”

Resources and staffing at the hub will focus on mental health, addictions, and housing.

“Simple things like helping them get IDs so that they can apply for different services and different help,” said Green.

The hub will also give people a warm place to stay during the day.

Similar hubs opened late last year in Moncton and Fredericton, with both operated by local chapters of The John Howard Society.

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