The co-chair of the Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee says great community work is being done by various organizations to address homelessness.
However, Mike Randall told Moncton City Council that there’s a lack of accountability when it comes to tackling this ever growing issue.
“What we are asking the province to do is to allow this community to be accountable – to give us the resources so we can manage this problem ourselves. I want the City of Moncton to be accountable for this issue but I want it to have the resources to do it.”
Randall says related problems also continue to grow such as drug activity and issues surrounding downtown security.
He believes Moncton has become the drug hub of the Maritimes.
“I met with a drug addict last week who said it takes two minutes when you get off the bus in Greater Moncton to buy $5 crystal meth. Two minutes. If you want crack, it takes a bit longer, it maybe takes four minutes.”
He estimates as many as 250 people are sleeping rough in Greater Moncton and about 170 are facing chronic homelessness.
