Article contentEmergency shelters in towns like Amherst, Kentville, Truro and New Glasgow have been where many people struggling with those issues end up. But the behaviour of some of those who use the shelters has become a problem.Article content“People using the shelter have very complex needs and my question is: Is this shelter the place to deal with these complex needs?” said Dicks.Article content“I would suggest no. It has to come from the province. It has to be an all-in kind of response from the provincial government in integrating all the departments that touch on health, addictions, housing, municipal affairs, the Department of Justice.”Article contentUltimately, Dicks said, council sees the solution involving long-term residential treatment for some of those living in the shelter.Article contentShelter staff willing to work with town council, province to develop supportsArticle contentStaff working at Northstar on Wednesday directed The Chronicle Herald to written statements shared on the shelter’s social media feeds.Article contentArticle content“New Glasgow town council is asking the province to close the region’s only emergency homeless shelter during a homelessness, housing and addiction crisis, while the alternative services described in the resolution do not yet exist,” reads one post.Article content“We recognize that governing during a housing, homelessness and addiction crisis is extraordinarily difficult. Councillors are hearing from residents who are frustrated, frightened and angry. They are being asked to respond to issues that frequently fall outside municipal jurisdiction, and we understand that pressure.Article content“We ask council to extend that same understanding to the people and organizations it is placing under pressure. Difficult social realities are meant to make us uncomfortable. That discomfort reflects our shared humanity and reminds us of our collective responsibility to care for one another.”Article contentThe shelter said in its unsigned statement that it is willing to work with council and the provincial government to develop the addiction, housing, mental health and social supports the area needs, but it will continue operating in the meantime.Article contentArticle contentKenda Hayman, a staff member at Northstar, directed The Chronicle Herald to her own statement, in which she warned council that forcing its closure won’t make the underlying issues go away.Article content“Is the town magically going to make all of the things that we need here appear? They must have affordable housing, supportive housing, affordable rehabs, detoxes that people can access, doctors, health-care providers, mental health workers, nurses, addiction services, social workers, in their back pockets?” wrote Hayman.Article content“Why aren’t they trying to provide aid or support the shelter and the input of the people who are actually trained and working on the front lines with vulnerable populations? It makes no sense to ignore the very people doing the work.”Article content Northstar Shelter and Support Services on Marsh Street in New Glasgow is run by the Viola’s Place Society. Photo by Aaron Beswick /The Chronicle HeraldArticle contentProvince says it’s willing to ‘connect’ unhoused people to services they requireArticle contentIn a written statement, Opportunities and Social Development spokeswoman Erica Parrill said her department would work with stakeholders, including the town and Northstar, to expand services in Pictou County for those experiencing homelessness.
New Glasgow shelter at centre of growing fight over homelessness, addiction and neighbourhood safety
