Moncton council votes to release funds for homeless shelter

Moncton council signaled Monday it is ready to pay thousands to a downtown homeless shelter it has held back for two years.

Councillors voted 7-3 during a committee meeting Monday to release the 2022 and 2023 grant payments to House of Nazareth.

A final vote needs to take place at a future council meeting. If ratified, the vote will see the charity that operates a 64-bed shelter on Albert Street receive $75,000.

"Today is a good day for Maison Nazareth, but more importantly, for the people that need our services," Hélène Boudreau, chair of the charity's board of directors, told reporters Monday.

Council voted in 2021 to withhold the organization's annual grant payments until the city received an operational plan for the shelter. That plan was delivered in December.

The city has already issued its 2024 payment of $37,500, Boudreau said.

The 2022 and 2023 funds are now expected to help cover repair and renovation costs estimated at more than $90,000.

A city staff report to council describes the work as including repairs to the building's heating and ventilation system, a fence, emergency exits and the roof. Other work includes constructing a new storage room and workshop area.

"Administration is confident that the release of the withheld funds for 2022 and 2023 will assist in enabling the House of Nazareth to complete the necessary and required repairs that will facilitate a positive impact on their operations," the staff report states.

"This will help to improve services to the city's most vulnerable."

House of Nazareth executive director Zineb Elouad, left, and board chair Hélène Boudreau were pleased with the vote Monday. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Deputy Mayor Shawn Crossman was among the three who voted against releasing the money. He said the organization had failed to provide an operational plan for years, and he didn't see enough improvements.

"There's still concerns within the residence and the businesses in the area," Crossman told reporters.

When House of Nazareth relocated to Albert Street in 2019, it had more than 100 beds.

It now offers 64, a change council was told reflects a mission that's more focused on moving people through to housing. However, last fall it had dropped to about 30 beds.

Coun. Dave Steeves, who also voted against releasing funds, said council was surprised to hear about the reduction.

"I remember us being very disappointed," Steeves said. "And now all of a sudden, it's all good and let's give them the money."

House of Nazareth opened in this building on Albert Street in 2019. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)

Zineb Elouad, the shelter's executive director, told council they lost several staff members and had to reduce the number of beds for several weeks, but that 64 would be the normal level.

Both Elouad and Boudreau said the charity doesn't expect to increase the beds back to the level the shelter had when it opened.

Instead, they want to focus on getting more people into housing.

"There's a lot more revolving doors instead of having the same people stay for an extended time," Boudreau said.