Opposition wants update on how province plans to help Islanders who are homeless

Tony Davis · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 04, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 4

P.E.I.'s Official Opposition is demanding details astir however the provincial authorities plans to amended services for Islanders who don't person a unafraid and affordable spot to live.

About 8 months ago, the authorities published a study called Enhancing the System of Care, produced by Carlene Donnelly. She had been brought connected arsenic a special adviser to erstwhile premier Dennis King to assistance make a "client-centred" exemplary of attraction for those facing homelessness.

"The study had a batch of timelines successful it that had six months to instrumentality them and we don't know, we person nary thought wherever the state is. There has been precise small connection with the public," Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly said successful an interview.

"I cognize immoderate things person been enactment successful place, which would beryllium positive, but the deficiency of communication… [on] wherever the state is going, is anybody's conjecture astatine this point."

Some of the recommendations successful the study included:

• Improving entree to due superior care, intelligence wellness attraction and addictions help. 
• Adopting a prevention philosophy.
• Building a exemplary of attraction for radical with analyzable needs.
• Improving the co-ordination of services.
• Developing much options for housing.

Among different things, the study highlighted a request for a amended program to assistance radical during utmost upwind events: "A contingency program should beryllium developed for these situations with the caveat that warming centres are not a solution to code homelessness."

The study suggests establishing a "Complex Care Centre" to connection some carnal and intelligence wellness enactment to radical without housing, asking the authorities to found a "possible imperishable location" for specified a analyzable this year.

McNeilly questioned whether a study was adjacent needed to recognize the issues facing Islanders who are experiencing homelessness oregon struggling with intelligence wellness oregon addictions issues.

"A lasting committee went connected the road, did 4 antithetic sessions crossed the province, gave recommendations to this authorities and they were ignored," helium said. "The study says thing caller astatine all."

An exigency overnight structure and Community Outreach Centre are operating connected a provincial tract connected Charlottetown's Park Street, but McNeilly argues that isn't the close location.

"They've built what appears to beryllium a compound, you know, voluntary oregon not. It's successful 1 location, it's blocked off, it's saying: 'You aren't worthy capable of our society; here's wherever you are going to be.'

"That's nary mode to live," the MLA said, adding that services should beryllium disposable 24 hours a day, for 1 thing.

The state has applied to the City of Charlottetown to support the structure and outreach services successful the Park Street area, though provincial officials person consistently said the determination is temporary. If the exertion is approved, the services would beryllium allowed to stay successful the country indefinitely, without the state having to reapply.

At a January public meeting, galore who unrecorded successful the country said they judge the beingness of the Community Outreach Centre and structure are contributing to loitering, spot damage, theft and open cause use, among other issues.

In February, Charlottetown's readying committee accepted a proposal by metropolis unit that outreach and structure services shouldn't proceed astatine the Park Street location. That led Minister of Housing, Land and Communities Steven Myers to constitute to Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown.

"We person asked the metropolis to enactment with america — to connection suggested locations, to adequately code the needs of those experiencing insecure lodging conditions done your authoritative program and zoning and improvement bylaw — and person been met with silence," Myers wrote.

Council is expected to marque its last determination connected the provincial exertion aboriginal this month.

However, Myers said successful the legislature past twelvemonth that the outreach centre isn't moving careless of metropolis council's decision.

McNeilly said that wasn't due oregon respectful. 

"The lasting committee recommendations are clear: You request to decentralize this. You request to get this retired of 1 cardinal determination into assorted parts truthful radical are supported erstwhile they request the services the most."

CBC News has asked for an interrogation astir however the state is responding to the report, and what if thing has been implemented. Officials with the Department of Housing, Land and Communities haven't made anyone disposable for an interview.

When the study was released, immoderate changes had already been made. For example, the intake process improved erstwhile the Community Outreach Centre moved from Euston Street to Park Street.

"The COC has a caller intake process, which volition springiness them amended information arsenic to what the basal issues are of each person. Using this data, we tin code these issues with programs and services passim the city," the study reads.

Last year, an country was acceptable up astatine the outreach centre specifically for a caller 11-week beingness absorption program. As well, the centre has been providing entree to a physician, with a primary-care session astatine the outreach centre since May 2024. There is besides regular nursing attraction astatine the centre.

Another proposal astir entree to wellness attraction focuses connected radical not getting into detox programs rapidly enough. How patients are discharged aft they person attraction could besides beryllium improved, according to the report.

McNeilly sees struggles erstwhile it comes to getting into detox programs, helium said.

"We bash not person the abstraction oregon the capableness to assistance radical — and particularly erstwhile they are dealing with much terrible things, they person to spell disconnected Island. There is nary enactment there, is what radical are telling me," the MLA said, adding helium knows unit delivering detox programs are doing the champion they can.

As for housing, the study suggests the authorities dive deeper into processing a lodging strategy and springiness much enactment helping Islanders with analyzable needs transition to unchangeable homes. 

On a related note, the Rural Municipality of Miltonvale Park has received an exertion for an affordable lodging task betwixt Miltonvale Community Park and the Provincial Correctional Centre conscionable disconnected Sleepy Hollow Road. That onshore is owned by the province.

Right now, buildings that utilized to beryllium connected the premises of Royalty Maples Motel and Cottages person been placed on the land, with a nationalist gathering astir the exertion scheduled for March 18.

CBC News has been asking the state for an interrogation astir that project for months, but nary 1 has been made available.