Men's shelter in Summerside 'absolutely needed' — but some question its location

A public meeting on a 24-hour-a-day shelter in Summerside drew much support from many of those attending in person, but there were some questions around the location and operations.

The meeting was held Tuesday night as the first step in the process to make the six-bed shelter a reality. Council heard a presentation from the P.E.I. Housing Corporation, which owns the building, and the Native Council of P.E.I., which will run the shelter. The presentation was followed by questions from the public and council.

"It's absolutely needed. It's needed 10, 50, 100 times over," said Coun. Justin Doiron.

"The need is a lot more than six beds."

Scott Carnall, the housing development officer with the Native Council, said this first meeting went well and there was "a lot of honest conversation" about the shelter being on Winter Street in downtown Summerside.

"There's a lot of people who do have concerns and I respect the concerns that they have," he said.

"People realize the need and I think they understand our commitment."

There were a few emailed complaints read aloud that were against the shelter. People expressed that it shouldn't be downtown in residential areas, it should be uptown where most of the commercial land is. Others said the shelter will lower property values in the area and be dangerous for families who live nearby.

"Do I want my 15-year-old daughter walking by a men's shelter?" one person wrote. Another wrote "I'm writing this for an objection to the men's shelter being built anywhere near the down town area, if anywhere it should be on Granville near no housing but the grocery stores."

"It's always hard when you plan for a shelter in an existing metro neighbourhood. It's not always going to be a warm welcome," Carnall said. 

But many of those who spoke in person were in support of it or asked questions to clarify such things as staffing, loitering, policing and parking.

'Nowhere to go'

One of those who spoke in favour was April Wall. She and her husband, Robert, are among the more than 20 people facing eviction from the nearby Causeway Bay Hotel, which recently served tenants their second eviction notices. She said she'll be homeless come Nov. 13.

Crying as she took the mic she told the room, "We have no idea what we're going to do."

In an interview with CBC News afterward, Wall said she's scared for her family and others who are days away from living on the streets.

"We're all terrified and we don't know what to do," she said.

"There's nowhere to go."

Wall said she's in support of the men's shelter, but concerned about the lack of a family shelter, because it could be the case soon where she and her husband go separate ways to find housing once they're evicted.

"We need something bigger than a six-room house," she said.

"Somewhere where actual families can go, so you don't have to split up your family."

'It's hard. It's happening everywhere'

Rev. Colin Nicolle spoke at the meeting and said his church helps vulnerable people throughout the downtown core.

"It's hard. It's happening everywhere," Nicolle said.

"You're starting to see what was there already, but you're seeing it more."

He said he hopes council will give it final approval in the coming weeks. The shelter is needed more than ever, he said.

"There's people who were once living in hotels, now they're living in tents," he said.

"The people who once had an apartment … now they're under a blanket in Heather Moyse Park or in a tent in the woods."

'I can't help but bring my emotions out'

This fall there's been public outcry in Summerside over the rise of homelessness in the city.

The number of people are living in tents is rising and dozens more are either living in cars or on couches or facing homelessness in the coming days.

Over the last several months, people have been telling the city stories of what they're seeing across Summerside and urging council to find solutions quickly. This most recently came up at a council meeting in September, and again after Wall and others at the Causeway Bay Hotel received their second eviction notice.

People in the community need to get behind the shelter, said Coun. Doiron.

"As councillors we're so often expected to come into some of these meetings and, you know, put on a straight face and almost be a drone, or a robot," he told CBC News.

"I can't help but bring my emotions out and just say how it is."

The application will now go to the city's planning board and then back to council for final approval. The men's shelter is expected to be running by December.