As Happy Valley-Goose Bay's transient population grows, public education can help, says Nunatsiavut government

As concerns rise about a growing number of homeless and transient people living alongthe trails in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the Inuit government running the community's only non-profit homeless shelter says public education is one place to start finding solutions.

The Nunatsiavut government, which runs the Housing Hub in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, says more understanding of the issues is needed before rhetoric escalates.

"I see things escalating and becoming more volatile and I'm not sure how you ease some of that tension. I think community education is part of it, but people have to be open to being educated," said Michelle Kinney, deputy minister of health and social development.

In recent weeks, residents have been expressing their concerns over public safety and calling more social services in the town, including at a rally on Friday.

The concerns are focused on an estimated 80 people living in the woods, alongthe town's trail system. Some residents say there have been issues of harassment, assaults and vandalism.

Kinney said the people using the shelter are often lumped together but are a very diverse group of individuals.

There are people who have been there for four years, while others stay just a short time. There are also seniors who aren't able to find housing on their own, she said, 31 people in the supportive living program, and eight people in apartments who have only drop-in support.

And there is the transient population that uses the shelter's resources when needed, she said. The shelter has a nurse practitioner who sees clients, income support workers, legal aid, mental health supports, outreach workers from Innu Nation and more.

"It's overcrowded, it's not adequate," Kinney said."But I think for the most part we do the best that we can to meet the needs of both client groups."

Kinney said people too often think of the vulnerable population as only one type of person or one group, because those individuals may be more visible than others. But she hopes residents of the community will realize a spectrum of peopleneed help in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

"I think that you combat that on an individual basis by trying to speak to individuals and explain. People have a whole variety of life experiences and things. They've been through levels of trauma," Kinney said.

"There's a reason for people to have addictions issues. It's not something that people just choose," Kinney said.

There are some people that need to be held responsible and incarcerated for behaviours, but that is not going to help everyone, Kinney said. People need to work together to consider what's best for the town, she said.

"I don't think that there's any one answer," Kinney said. "And public safety is important, but I think for a lot of people that translates into enforcement, and enforcement isn't the only answer either. It's part of the puzzle but it's not the whole puzzle."

Short-term actions needed, says Nunatsiavut minister

There are some actions that could immediately help immediately, she said. Kinney said that doesn't mean increasing RCMPstaffing, as some residents have called for, but the RCMP identifying their needs for Justice and Public Safety Minister John Hogan.

"Then Minister Hogan can respond and the public can determine whether his response is appropriate, but I'm not sure he can answer everyone's questions or do what the public necessarily thinks he should be doing."

Hogan is expected to visit the town this week.

As well, Kinney wants to see the Indigenous liaison position reinstated in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP detachment and better cultural orientation for all professionals in town.

"Indigenous people are part of this community and theyare large part of the population, not just the transient population, not just people at the shelter," Kinney said.

"That needs to be recognized and the history of trauma, a lot of those pieces really needs to be embedded in a lot of the programs and things that we do," she said.

In the longer term, Kinney wants to see a purpose-built facility with a homeless shelter, boarding rooms, supported living apartments and social services all in one place for people to transition from one to the next.

"There could be social enterprise and the community has an opportunity to interact with a lot of those clients on a more positive note," Kinney said. "Maybe I'm an idealist, but I just think that the potential is endless."

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador