'We can do better': City hopes to end homelessness after demolishing tent camp

The newly appointed chair of Moncton's social inclusion committee says more needs tobe done when it comes to dealingwith homelessness in the city.

Coun.Charles Leger,who was appointed to the social inclusion committee about a month ago, spoke about the dismantling of a homeless camp in the city's west end on Thursday, after a meeting withThe Codiac Regional Policing Authority.

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Leger, who chairs the meetings,said the tent camp site became more visible as the leaves fell off the trees, making it more clear that a lot of people wereliving in the area.

"We need to be more proactive," Leger said. "It hurts me to see that in our city but I think that's the reality."

Codiac RCMP Supt.Tom Critchlow saidhe went to the site Thursday to see the area first hand and was surprised by the number of tents and people that were there, describing it as "very sad."

Homelessness a 'big problem'

He saidRCMP, whichispart of the city's public safety committee, is working on a number of issues involvinghomelessness and prostitution in Moncton.

"They don't have the access to what they need and homelessness is a big problem for all of us." Critchlow said.

Critchlow saidtwo people with warrants were arrested at the site, and a piece of "equipment" that was stolen, was also recovered.

A growing problem

Leger said the issue of homelessness is aproblem in many growing cities.

During ongoing budget deliberations, he said the city is moving ahead with grant applications for SalvusClinic and the YMCA's ReConnect Street InterventionProgram.

The Salvus Clinic provides access to health care for people suffering with issues relatedto homelessness, poverty, mental health and substance abuse. It alsoworks alongsideother community and government agencies.

Meanwhile, the YMCA program helps the homeless and otherswho are at risk of becoming homeless.

"It's unfortunate but sometimes it's the wake up call that we need and I hope that this is the one time that, OK you know what? We start to make a difference," Leger said of dismantlingthe camp on West Main Street.

He said the city also needs help from both the province and the federal governments.

"Certainly if there was affordable housing, if there was a program and if people could actually get in the program and if governments listened to the people working on the ground that are saying, 'You know somebody doesn't have anywhere to live, they don't have an address and if they don't have an address, they can't get social assistance it's a revolving door."he said.

Although Leger saidthere isn't a concrete solution that will solve homelessness in Moncton, he said everyone needs to work together to improve it.

"We can do better and we need to do better," he said.