The Mayor of Moncton took to Facebook recently to talk out about ongoing homelessness in the city.
During a weekly recap video, Dawn Arnold took the opportunity to address the concerns of many.
“Our phone have not stopped ringing here, we’ve just been inundated with emails and texts since the corporate decision was made along with all our community partners to close down the tent city and really work with people who are currently finding themselves without homes to find a place to go,” she says.
Here’s the video:
Arnold says since the closure of the tent city, 6 people have been able to find housing and they are continuing to work with those who haven’t.
“The RCMP and the By-Law are doing more on-street foot patrols, working with people in our downtown core, helping them find the services they need,” says Arnold.
Organizations like the Salvus Clinic and YMCA ReConnect are working together with Law enforce to connect individuals to the services they need.
In a video, she says the most effective way of fighting homelessness is by getting them into safe, affordable housing.
“All of this is costing a lot of money but housing first has a cost of almost 21 thousand dollars per person, per year and for every 10 dollars invested there’s an average saving of about $7.75 and this is on health, social services, justice, this sort of thing,” she says.
Arnold says this is a critical issue that demands the attention of not only the community but all levels of government.
She notes that for anyone looking for a way to help, they can do their part by contributing to the volunteer groups working directly with the homeless.
You can read her full statement below:
