From 'vital hubs' to pits of 'human misery'

With the recent death of a man after a fire in a homeless camp in Saint John and other reports of unsafe living conditions, some are suggesting New Brunswick needs designated and managed areas where people can camp.

Others say that would only make things worse and detract from real solutions to homelessness.

Fredericton experimented with allowing tent sites a few years ago and concluded they caused more safety problems than they addressed. 

But the number of people living outdoors has increased since then, so perhaps they merit another look.

CBC News asked a number of front-line professionals, organizations that work with the homeless community, politicians, public safety experts and researchers in the field for their stance on the issue.

Here's what we put to them, and a summary of the responses received by publication time, edited for length. 

Q. Are you in favour of designated and managed areas where unhoused people can camp? If not, why not? If so, what would those encampments need to have?

Dan Brooks, executive director, John Howard Society of Southeastern New Brunswick, Inc.

A. Encampments play a crucial part in providing shelter and support for individuals experiencing homelessness. They may serve as a lifeline for those without immediate housing options. Homelessness can result from a myriad of complex factors, making it impossible for traditional shelters and housing to accommodate everyone in need. Many feel encampments are safer and more stable than the streets.

Encampments act as vital hubs for outreach and service providers — including social workers, health-care professionals and volunteers — to connect, offer assistance, and provide access to essentials such as medical care, addiction treatment, and mental health support.

They need to be in accessible locations.

Nevertheless, encampments should be viewed as a temporary solution to homelessness. Ideally, our collective goal should be to continue investing in more permanent long-term housing solutions for all. 

Marcel LeBrun, 12 Neighbours tiny home community, Fredericton

A: All energy and investment should be directed toward the needed solution —  permanent supportive housing. Anything else is a stopgap distraction and further normalizes homelessness.

That said, an actively managed campsite is better than a chase or move-along policy.

In Halifax, for example, they are shutting down encampments and have installed a large shelter to support this. This goes in the wrong direction. 

We want smaller shelters for people staying days, not months, before moving to permanent supportive housing. 

Yes, new permanent housing costs more than a shelter, but in the long-run it costs less to the system than emergency interventions.

I'm not against crisis intervention as long as we simultaneously implement a permanent solution. Otherwise we are building a bridge to nowhere. 

Kate Rogers, Fredericton mayor

A. Tent encampments are a Band-Aid solution and it is so discouraging and disheartening that, as a society, this is an option that we are considering. 

Encampments are a cause for safety concerns, most especially for the people living in the sites. 

As a municipality, we can play a role in providing police and fire safety. However, many of the issues that arise within these encampments are a result of mental health and addiction challenges that cities do not have the expertise or authority to address.

To that end, we are anxiously awaiting the province's Homelessness Strategy and will continue to advocate for expanded services for this vulnerable population.

Zineb Elouad, House of Nazareth, Moncton

A. We encourage housing and safe spaces for unhoused people.

As a harm-reduction measure, I am in favour of having designated and managed camping areas, but these places should also include a comprehensive support system such as safety and security measures, emergency assistance and clinical support, with a focus on providing permanent housing solutions.

Chief Martin Gaudet, Fredericton Police Force

A. While sanctioned tent sites have the advantage of allowing access to the most vulnerable, that is far outweighed by many disadvantages, including significant safety issues, such as drug use, disturbances, altercations, environmental concerns, tent fires, and unsanitary conditions.

As individual tent sites arise, police and community agencies visit the sites together, and work quickly to connect vulnerable person(s) with the right supports at the right time to address their complex needs.

Eric Weissman, UNBSJ homelessness researcher with lived experience

A.  Having extensively studied successfully managed encampments, I am in favour of them, with provisions — including:

• Government funding, administered by a board of residents, professionals and non-profits

• Rules of conduct

• A gated, secure and well-located property

• Showers and washrooms

• A cooking station

• Regular visits by medical and other service providers.

• Personnel to handle donations

Many folks living in homelessness, including many with substance use patterns, prefer to camp rather than use the shelter system, which currently doesn't include a "wet shelter."

Managed spaces can be an effective and humane temporary reaction to mitigate potential harms.

However, the most important response — as prescribed in the national housing strategy — is to build affordable housing, reduce and control rent and/or provide subsidies.

John Wishart, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton

A. I'm not in favour of designated and managed areas where unhoused people can camp as a long-term solution to homelessness. 

We as a society and community should do everything we can to ensure every person has a safe and warm place to spend the night. 

Even if outdoor encampments are "managed", this is an inhumane response to that goal. It institutionalizes a tent as an acceptable place to lay your head every night. We can do better.

Shelter beds go unused every night in Moncton, yet we still have people sleeping in tents. We have to ask ourselves what must be done to change this.

However, the real foundation solutions to this issue are truly affordable housing with wraparound services to treat the underlying causes of homelessness. 

Dr. Sara Davidson, family physician who works with many unhoused patients

A. Yes, I'm in favour of designated and managed areas where unhoused people can camp.

They should have:

• A few small sites and a few larger sites to be flexible to needs, such as substance use or abstinence goals.

• Large tents overhead, individual tents inside

• Washrooms, electricity and electric blankets

• A common food preparation and eating area

• Areas where a person can be alone

• A shuttle service or nearby bus stop and bus passes

• A private and safe consumption tent, with qualified 24/7 staffing.

• Funds to pay residents to maintain the space and liaise with outreach workers.

• Design, co-ordination, operation and management based that is on best-practices and includes residents and all partners. 

• Ongoing communication to mitigate challenges and adapt.

Warren Maddox, Fredericton Homeless Shelters

A: The short answer is no, I am not in favour of encampments. I have been around these things for years. … All of them ended poorly. The level of exploitation, the drugs, the garbage and the general level of human misery is just beyond acceptable. 

I have seen very small groupings sort-of work, if you can keep the predators away — which is virtually impossible. 

There is no real answer.

But I am getting really tired of comments that shelters are unsafe and terrible places that don't offer any solutions. Employees at shelters are working extremely hard to help unhoused people and what we get is just crap thrown back at us.