Moncton tent city residents look for warmer homes for winter

Members of Moncton's homelessness steering committee say as the nights get colder, more residents of four tent cities are becoming desperate for a warmer place to sleep.

"Unfortunately, like any time, the options are limited for people," said Darcy Cormier, the community development co-ordinator.

"The options really are a shelter or perhaps getting into a rooming house, which are not always ideal."

Four tent cities have sprung up in Moncton during the summer in Mapleton Park, Centennial Park, off Vaughn Harvey Boulevard and on Lutz Street behind the offices of the non-profit group The Humanity Project.

• Moncton seeks solution after 4 tent cities pop up 
• APEC economist argues affordable housing approach not working

Even though Moncton has a relatively high apartment vacancy rate, Cormier points out that most of those are two-bedroom apartments.

For people who receive income assistance, Cormier said that's simply not an option.  

"Obviously, single people making $537 a month can't afford a two-bedroom apartment," Cormier said.

"An influx of affordable units is needed in our housing system."

Policy change needed

Cormier wants the provincial government to change its policy around people on social assistance who share an apartment.

"If two people making $537 wanted to be roommates ... they are then classified automatically as a family-unit so then their two individual cheques are cancelled and they would get one cheque for the two of them," she said. 

"You can understand that if you're just trying to have an apartment with someone that you don't even really know ... you're not necessarily going to want to have one cheque and trust that."

Cormier said the landlord would see positive impact on his vacancy, which would help the private sector and low-income people would have a secure place to live.

"For us in community it's hard to see how there's a downside to that situation."

Housing strategy needed

Cormier said Moncton has the highest number of single, non-elderly individuals in the province on a waiting list for an apartment through the housing branch of Social Development, so competition for any unit that becomes available is fierce.

Aside from that challenge, she adds the communal living situations in rooming houses and shelters aren't ideal.

"Some landlords do the best they can to maintain their rooming houses at a decent level of living but not all do. And they're not always secure ... in terms of having a door that locks properly," said Cormier.

"The same as at a shelter — especially people who have histories of experiencing violence or mental illness or those sort of things. Sleeping with a bunch of people who you don't know in a dorm room isn't necessarily a comfortable option."

​Cormier would like to see the province provide more housing subsidies to low-income individuals in the Moncton area.

She's also hoping for an influx of affordable apartments when the Gallant government announces a housing strategy for the province.

"If we could get 100 that would be awesome — it's definitely ambitious," she said.