Moncton residents voice homeless shelter frustrations during town hall

Community members in Moncton, N.B., gathered with a strong message Tuesday night, saying a local homeless shelter needs to go.

People shared their personal experiences of frustration, anger and fear as they stepped up to the microphone during a town hall meeting.

“I’m going to be 17 this September and I shouldn’t have to be walking to school terrified and coming back every day just because of this homeless situation by my house and by my school,” said one teenage girl.

One homeowner said, since the shelter has come in, it has been “nothing but problems.”

“We’ve had to, like everybody else, install cameras, extra locks; we don’t even dare leave anything out in our yard,” they said.

The owner of an apartment building in the area says he’s lost two tenants because of the building’s proximity to the shelter.

“They don’t want to live next door to the homeless shelter,” he said.

“They sleep on our balconies on the first floor. We have to chase them away all the time. I got tired of calling the police because they don’t really do nothing.”

Tuesday night’s meeting was designed to get answers and solutions to the homeless shelter on Mark Avenue.

“We want it gone,” said town hall organizer Janet McKenelley. “I’m not talking for myself, I’m talking for the community.”

While many community members did show up to the meeting, some say not all the right parties were in attendance.

“I can’t speak for the province, I can’t speak for reconnect, and I can’t even speak for the RCMP. I just don’t want any misconceptions here this evening that we’re going to do something as councillors, when we leave this room -- that is associated with other agencies,” said Moncton deputy mayor Shawn Crossman.

“Social development should be here, (the) province of New Brunswick should be here, RCMP should be here and whoever is running the shelter,” he added.

Several members of Moncton’s city council did attend, but say more people need to be involved.

“I think that we first have to have the conversation with the province as to what their future plan looks like,” said city councillor Charles Léger.

“We’ve asked for a plan related to shelters in general, and those are questions that really the province, and the province alone, can answer -- and I look forward to hearing them as well.”

While the homeless shelter was the focus of the town hall, the RCMP also came under the microscope, with many people saying the force isn't doing enough.

“I had a student have a knife pulled on him last week -- called 911,” said the principal of an area school. “The police came and dealt with the boy, sent the boy in to me and said, ‘Tell your principal.’”

As for next steps, the city councillors in attendance said they were taking notes and planned to share them with the appropriate organizations.

Community members say another town hall with everyone involved is needed.