Outflow continues work repurposing old Church Building

I had a chance to check out the old church building on Waterloo Street that Outflow has been using as a homeless shelter since some major renovations over the last year.

Outflow turned the lower levels into the shelter and are working on turning the upper floor into a large assembly space.

The work they have done is substantial and is exciting to see as someone who is curious to see what old church buildings can become. It is good to see this building being put to a use that will help out people in the community.

Safe Harbour Shelter–February 22, 2015

Safe Harbour

Construction progress:

SafeHarbour–December 21, 2014

Construction progress photo:

Action on Homelessness

The Community Council on Homelessness recently posted “4 Things You Can Do This Holiday Season to Address Homelessness in Saint John.” 

Some action to address homelessness came this week when two groups of engaged citizens decided to help fund two worthy causes.

Earlier this week the (over) 100 Women Who Care donated $24,000 to the Safe Harbour shelter.  Here is a recent picture of youth homeless shelter being constructed by the Safe Harbour group:

Outflow Ministry received a commitment of $10,000 from the 100 Men Who Care that same night. Outflow provides a number of services to those in need in out community, including an overnight shelter for homeless men.

Safe Harbour–Youth Shelter–Construction

November 23, 2014:

Safe Harbour–Youth Shelter–Construction photos - October 18, 2014

Safe Harbour–September 28, 2014

Safe Harbour–Construction

Safe Harbour–Construction Complex–August 20, 2014

Safe Harbour Construction Progress–August 1, 2014

Safe Harbour–July 25 construction progress

Safe Harbour–July 8, 2014

Safe Harbour–Construction Progress

Here is a photo from Friday showing off the progress at Safe Harbour in the south end.

Meeting the needs of our homeless

I’ve been posting with some excitement and interest lately about the new condominiums going up on Waterloo Street.  I think they will be a tool for creating more vibrancy in the area.

I am excited again for a development in the neighbourhood. Outflow, an organization that serves people living in poverty, will be stepping up to fill the need for a homeless shelter in Saint John.  They will be meeting the needs of up to 20 homeless people in the former Waterloo Street Baptist Church.  The shelter will be funded by the Province in the amount of $100,000 per year according to a CBC article.  The CBC article about the development goes on to explain that the board of Outflow will work with the Province and social service providers to help people transition out of homelessness. This is great news.

Moving south, down to Broad Street, site work is underway to make way for a shelter for homeless youth. The Safe Harbour facility will help aim to serve homeless youth as they move into their futures.

At Home / Chez Soi

The National Final Report: Cross-Site At Home/Chez Soi Project report has been released.

The Homelessnes Hub has a breakdown of the findings at: http://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/ask-hub-does-housing-first-work

One of the areas where the program was piloted was Moncton and surrounding areas.  The results from Moncton should help inform other communities of that size (such as Saint John and other parts of NB) about the best practices involved in helping the homeless become more than “the homeless.”

High costs of homelessness

Homelessness is a problem for those who experience it first hand, and the communities who try to support the homeless.

Homelessness in the winter is likely even more of a challenge.

According to a CBC article, this will be the last winter 27 beds will be available at the Salvation Army Centre of Hope.  The Center will be closing in April due to funding shortfalls.

The article indicates that the clients of the homeless shelter will need to work with other community groups.

Hopefully a efficient solution is found so that the Province and the Salvation Army can keep meeting the needs of our homeless community.

Support Raising the Roof and the Saint John youth shelter

Today in Brunswick Square you can buy hats and socks ($10 per hat and $10 per pair of socks) to support the Saint John youth shelter construction.  20% of the money generated goes back to the national Raising the Roof campaign that supports homelessness relief efforts across Canada.

Plans for the shelter:

American homelessness

The Daily Show featured an interesting interview with Shaun Donovan, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, with extended content online.

The Secretary discusses the efforts being taken to help the homeless in the US.

‘Put a Cap on Youth Homelessness!’

It’s Toque Tuesday. You can buy a Raising the Roof hat at Brunswick Square, McAllister Place and Market Square for $10.  The funds are split between local and national youth homelessness charities.