Summerside shelter delayed by quest to avoid issues that haunt Charlottetown, minister says
Rob Lantz says staff putting 'together a model that's more ideal' than Charlottetown's
P.E.I.'s housing minister says the delay in setting up and servicing an emergency shelter for Summerside is because staff are trying to avoid the problems that have been haunting the government in Charlottetown.
That comment came as Rob Lantz responded to questions in the legislature Wednesday from interim Liberal Leader Hal Perry, who had asked whether facilities similar to the Community Outreach Centre will be set up in communities across the Island.
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Perry's line of questioning was on outreach centres, but the government's responses spoke to emergency shelters.
Lantz said his department's staff are working on establishing "more supportive housing" and an emergency shelter in Summerside.
"It's taking a bit more time than we would like, because we are working hard on the ground to examine the situation, connect with all of our community partners, analyze exactly what the need is, and put together a model that's more ideal — instead of repeating what we did in Charlottetown," Lantz said.
The Community Outreach Centre in Charlottetown is not an emergency shelter, but the government considers it to be complementary to the overnight emergency shelter on Park Street.
The outreach centre's focus is on helping people dealing with homelessness while opening the path to counselling, employment, food and housing services for those who need them.
The 50-bed emergency shelter on Park Street, however, is referred to as a safe place for adults experiencing homelessness to spend the night. It is open 12 hours a day, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
In an interview with CBC News, Lantz said staff have been talking with people in Summerside about whether the need is for an emergency shelter or something similar to the outreach centre.
"Turns out it's probably a mix of both," he said. "We're taking the time to get that right. With respect to wraparound services, I think I'm on record saying we don't want to repeat any mistakes we've made in Charlottetown."
'We need a place in Summerside'
The plan for a shelter in the Summerside area has been in the works for months, with Lantz promising back in August that the province would help set up a temporary low-barrier shelter in the city.
"Low-barrier" in this case means that people cannot be turned away if they have been using alcohol or drugs, as is the case with some other shelters on P.E.I.
The housing minister's answer Wednesday also aligns with what city councillors in Summerside have been calling for. At a recent legislative committee meeting popup in Summerside, Coun. Carrie Adams spoke about the outreach centre in Charlottetown before saying: "That is not what we want or what we need."
During question period Wednesday, Social Development Minister Barb Ramsay also fielded questions from Perry. Again, the Opposition leader asked about the outreach centre, but Ramsay responded by echoing Lantz's comments about a shelter.
"We're trying to come up with a different strategy for Summerside," said Ramsay, a former councillor in the city.
"We do need more beds in Summerside. We are working towards that … Yes, we need a place in Summerside for shelter, but it doesn't need to be the same situation that we have here in Charlottetown."
The province has not specified a timeline for when Summerside will have a government-sponsored emergency shelter or wraparound services to help people without housing.
Lantz told CBC News there should be a timeline "very soon" but a full rollout of services could take years.
"We've done our best at every step of this escalating crisis to get our hands around the problem as it exists," he said. "But it's evolving so quickly that we need to evolve our programs and services a little more comprehensively at this point."
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