Moncton council is considering whether to evict a homeless support centre from a city-owned building downtown.
Council voted last fall to lease 473 St. George St. to the provincial government for a year for use as a drop-in and service site.
The centre, dubbed Bridge To Home, has been run by the John Howard Society of Southeastern New Brunswick. Last winter it offered emergency shelter beds.
On Monday, a motion was introduced by Coun. Shawn Crossman to terminate the lease and resume using the building as a community centre. The motion was seconded by Coun. Daniel Bourgeois and will be debated and voted on Oct. 7.
The motion cites crime, drug use and questions about whether services promised are being delivered as reasons for ending the lease.
“We cannot continue to allow these people to go without their services they need and put the communities at risk, as well as themselves at risk,” Crossman told reporters.
Moncton Coun. Shawn Crossman, left, introduced the motion that will be debated next month. (Shane Magee/CBC)
He said the timing is aimed at putting pressure on the province in the midst of a provincial election. The campaign is scheduled to begin Thursday, with election day Oct. 21.
CBC News has requested comment from the provincial government and the John Howard Society.
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold told reporters Monday evening that she’s not sure how she’ll vote, saying she needs more information.
But she echoed concerns about the location.
“Is it working the way the province promised us it would? I would not say it is,” Arnold said.
“There’s probably opportunities to make it better or, you know, to come up with other solutions in our community,” he said. “I think the businesses in that area are suffering, for sure. They’re feeling a lot of pressure.”
The city’s one-year lease agreement allowed for an extension of up to two years.
Crossman said before there’s an extension he wants council to debate what’s happening.
The change from community centre, under the name Moncton Lions Community Centre, to a space serving homeless people, began two years ago.
The Humanity Project operated an emergency shelter there in the winter of 2022-2023.
It opened after advocates warned in late 2022 that someone would die in the city without more shelter space being made available.
Luke Landry died in the public washroom outside city hall only hours after that warning.
The change from community centre to homeless support centre displaced seniors programming and other services. This year, council voted to spend $77,000 to support seniors programming at a legion hall.
It’s also voted to give $28,000 to the Peter McKee Community Food Centre to help cover the cost of security after the opening of the homeless centre.