St. Stephen has been a flashpoint for the homelessness crisis. Where do candidates stand?

Homelessness and inadequate housing have challengedNew Brunswick's urban centres, butsmall towns have not been spared either.

Perhaps one of the most tangible examplesis in the southwestern town of St. Stephen.

Last December, after a homeless man was found dead in a park,the municipality declared a state of emergency to forcethe province to act. The call was promptly shut down by a cabinetminister, who called it "a game of politics."

The province suggested a location for a temporary shelter on Happy Valley Road for the roughly 100 homeless people in town, only to be shut down by unhappy residents.

A temporary overnight warming shelter was eventually created for the end of the winter but is now closed.

Now, as the Oct. 21 election approaches, these issues are on residents' minds.

CBC News requested interviews with candidates from the three major parties for the Saint Croix riding to askabout housing and homelessness.

Liberal candidate Troy Lyon and Green candidate Mark Groleau agreed to interviews.Kathy Bockus, the Progressive Conservativecandidate who held the seat in the last legislature,was not made available for an interview.

Winter fast approaching

Groleau said housing and homelessness are front and centre of what he's hearing from people.

"In St. Stephen, you knock on doors and of course people are very concerned about winter coming and the lack of transparency, mostly," he said.

Both candidates talked about how the town still has no permanent homeless shelter. When asked if there are any plans for a permanent homeless shelter in St. Stephen, Department of Social Development spokesperson Rebecca Howland said the province is "working on plans for an out-of-the-cold shelter for St. Stephen and will have more to share in the future."

"And here we are once again, a year later almost," Lyons said. "So we've been dragging our feet on this and unfortunately it's going to be the people of St. Stephen and area that are going to suffer."

Groleau spoke of the meeting last January when the Happy Valley Road location was discussed.

"And then [Kathy Bockus] stood up and just delivered a bombshell and said we're going to take a pause on this," he said.

WATCH | 'There's not much time left': Still no homeless shelter as winter approaches:

Saint Croix candidates speak about response to homelessness in St. Stephen

3 days ago

Duration 3:25

Green and Liberal candidates target lack of transparency about plans for homeless shelter in town.

After the meeting, which reporters were barred from entering, residents announced the plan had been paused, but Bockus refused to confirm this to reporters.

"I think the real devastation was putting a pause on that and not providing any sort of alternative from the perspective of a provincial support again," Groleau said.

More transparency needed, candidates say

Groleau said he would work to better "educate and support" members of the community who might be opposed to living near a shelter.

Worries residents had "were absolutely valid," Groleau said, but a shelter would need wrap-around services to ease those concerns.

Both candidates criticized what they call a lack of transparency from the province and Bockus about the status of a new shelter.

"And so there was a sense, I think, of confusion," Groleau said. "Whose job is it? Whose job is it anyways at the municipality? Is it the province? Is it Social Development? Is it the Southwest Service Commission?

"And there needs to be greater communication and I would say education and understanding among residents as to exactly how all those levels need to work together."

Some residents' concerns could be eased, Lyons said, "but the discussion has to happen and that discussion won't be easy, but we have to make a decision."

He added that he understands a discussion about a homeless shelter can be complex, but politicians need to keep their constituents informed.

"If you don't communicate, people begin to speculate, and once and then speculation becomes rumours and then people get very stressed out."

Proposed solutions

In the short term, Lyons said, he would work with stakeholders and non-profits to find properties where a temporary homeless shelter could possibly go "as a pressure bandage right now to stop the bleeding."

Then he would work to find longer-term solutions, including transitional housing to help get people back into society.

Lyons pointed to the Liberal promises of a rent cap, removal of provincial sales tax from power bills and new multi-unit housing and an overhaul of the property tax system as solutions that would work together to make housing more affordable and stable.

Building new housing has proven to be slow in New Brunswick, so Groleau said he would immediately sit down with local non-profits to talk about what they'd need to convert existing units into affordable housing.

"I've literally seen how fast we can take buildings that look like they are just fit to be mowed down and completely renovate them and turn them into suitable housing."

Groleau saidhousing and homelessness are complex butinterconnected.

As long as housing continues to be a "commodity," Groleau said there will always be a group of people "far below" the low-income cutoff that will be unable to afford it.

"And so of course, that fuels things like addiction. It is a vicious cycle."

Groleau said he would work to access federal funding from theNational Housing Strategyfor St. Stephen

He also touched on Green platform promises of a rent cap and services in rural communities, because people now need to travel to Saint John for detox and mental health support, he said.

"Greens are convinced that yes, we need to provide immediate out of the cold [shelter], but provide the supports."

Housing issues

Groleau pointed to issues with absentee landlord Starshine Properties buying up low-rent properties in town and letting several run vacant, which he said have "really exacerbated a lot of problems in our community."

Lyons agreed and said the company,run by an Alberta landlord who bought up dozens of affordable units in town and left several go vacant or abandoned, "certainly has added to the issue" of homelessness.

Groleau also took issue with SCAN evictions in St. Stephen. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act allows provincial officials to shut down buildings if illegal activity is suspected.

SCAN's only powers are to shut down a property, "and that just continues to scatter people without giving them the proper support," he said.

Local people want more police officers in town, he said, and SCAN is just "enabling the problem to just spread without addressing the core issues, which again are affordability."

Lyons said he even witnessed a SCAN eviction while door knocking in town.

Ultimately,he's learned that homelessness is personal for voters he's met while campaigning.

"I speak with the parents of people that are on the street in St. Stephen. They don't know where they are. They don't know if they're alive.

"It gets very personal when you go door to door."