Charlottetown council's emergency shelter deferral 'mind-boggling', says minister

Charlottetown council's vote to defer a decision on allowing a provincial emergency shelter potentially delaying when the shelter could be up and running has left P.E.I.Housing Minister Matthew MacKay shocked and disappointed.

"The mayor and the council knew exactly what needed to be done to get this through," MacKay told CBC News.

"I was caught very off guard," he said. "These are people's lives. There's people living on the street right now. It was -4 Cwhen I left the house this morning. It's getting cold and we need to find shelter for these individuals."

Council voted Tuesdayto send a decision on whether to allow a variance for the emergency shelter back to the planning board.

The proposal to set up two 25-unit modular housing unitsat 68 Park St., near the Hillsborough Bridge, to house people currently living in tents comes from the province. Those units are due to be delivered Nov. 1.

But the proposal required a zoning variance from council, which was deferred on a 6-4 vote at Tuesday night's meeting, leaving the timeline to get the shelter operational up in the air.

Mayor confident a solution will be found

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown saidcouncil voted to defer the decision to give residents in the Park Street area more time to voice their thoughts on the project.

He saidinput from residents was delayed due to communications issues caused by post-tropical storm Fiona.

"Notices were mailed out to the residents in the affected area, but the concern for the residents and people in that area was that the lines were down and there was no electricity. It was a disruptive time for them," Brown told Island Morning.

"So all they're asking for is to ask [the] planning board, give us another opportunity and that's why the deferral was voted on.

"It's just a moment of second sober thought to get more information ... We have to follow process. Process is that we have a zoning and development bylaw."

Brown insists there is time to run through the deferral process without delaying the opening, and says gathering more information will give the city the opportunity to get the shelter right.

"We have to be more accommodating to our marginalized population, and I think, in the end, we'll come to a resolution that will be satisfying for all," he said.

'Completely blindsided'

The province has been in discussions with the city about the shelter since August, said MacKay.

"The only thing they had to do was give us a vote on a variance last night and they chose to defer it. It's just mind-boggling that we're even having this conversation," said MacKay.

We completely got blindsided on this. I never dreamt in a million years that city council would vote this down.P.E.I. Housing Minister Matthew MacKay

"We completely got blindsided on this. I never dreamt in a million years that city council would vote this down."

MacKay also took issue with the mayor's contention that the city needed more information about how the shelter would work.

"I listened to the mayor on his interview this morning, where he wants to reach out to Halifax and New Brunswick and others," he said.

"We've done all that. They know we've done all that."

'It's pointless'

The province is now looking at legal options to have the variance granted and considering possible back-up plans.

MacKay said he has not been in touch with Brown since the vote.

"It's pointless. We've had numerous discussions with the mayor on this.

"It's got to the point where I've lost all faith completely with the mayor and the council. I can't believe a word that comes out of the mayor's mouth," he said.

"The premier, he gets one story, I get another story, the residents get another story. I just find the relationship you can't work with them."

MacKay said the city's behaviour is in sharp contrast with the City ofSummerside, which he says provided an option for five lots within 48 hours followingrecent discussion about housing there.

Upcoming municipal elections

MacKay accused Charlottetown city councillors of trying to defer the decision until after municipal elections on Nov. 7.

"Some of these individuals are putting their careers ahead of someone's life. It just amazes me," he said.

"Being a leader, being in the position I'm in, you have to make tough decisions. Some are popular, some aren't, but that's a part of the job. But at the end of the day these are people's lives and you shouldn't be playing politics with people's lives."

It's crucial that the shelter be in Charlottetown, he said, because that is where the bulk of the homeless population is an estimated 113as compared to about 15 in Summerside.

'All hands on deck'

He said the province isn't sure what its options are yet, but said his department will be having broad-ranging conversations to find a solution.

"We're going to be reaching out to church organizations, community halls, anything, to anybody that might be able to help us out on this. I'm really asking for all hands on deck on this," he said.

"You can just imagine waking up in a cold tent this morning and what that must feel like, and I'm going to do everything I can to get this rectified."

The shelter is a short-term solution, said MacKay, and a long-term solution is needed. When he took on the housing portfolio a few months ago he said getting people into warm beds for the winter was a top priority for him.

Brown told Island Morning he still believes, even with the deferral back to planning board, that the city can come to a decision before the municipal election.

Special meeting called for Thursday

Late Wednesday afternoon,council called a special meeting for Thursday at 4:30 p.m. which will be open to the public.

There are two motions on the agenda:

• Torescind the motion from Tuesdaynight to defer a decision on the shelter variation.
• To vote to put through the necessary zoning variation to allow the shelter to go ahead.