Fredericton's out-of-the-cold shelter closes

Fredericton's out-of-the-cold shelter will close May 1. Both the funding and zoning arrangements end Wednesday and many people will have to find a new place to sleep.

Calls have started to come in for available beds at the Fredericton Homeless Shelters.

"I think they're kind of scrambling, trying to figure out where they're going to stay," said Chloe O'Brion with the shelter organization.

More than 90 people have used the out-of-the-cold shelter since it opened in December.

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The shelter, in a former bishop's house provided by the Anglican Church, wasscheduled to close April 1. Because of the cold weather and a desperate need,it was given a zoning extension from the city until the end of the month.

Both the funding and zoning arrangements end Wednesday.

Throughout the colder months, the house gave up to 20 people shelter overnight. Now those people have to find somewhere else to sleep.

Some lucky ones already have.

"The province has stepped up in the huge way," said Warren Maddox, executive director of the Fredericton Homeless Shelters.

"So we have a bunch of people who are moving out of our shelters who are freeing up some room, there are people who are going directly out of the out-of-the-cold into housing."

Maddox said about 15 people will be moved into permanent, affordable housing Wednesday, and though that's a good step, it's just a start.

"People should not, under any circumstances, think that the affordable housing issue has been solved at all. It is not even close."

Calls on all levels of government

Maddox said it's going to take all levels of government working together to generate more affordable housing.

And according to Joan Kingston, manager of the out-of-the-cold shelter, summer is the time to find those solutions.

"There may be an issue again next winter but that is not what we should focus on," she said. "The issue is that we have many months until next winter.

"Many months to help work toward having places for people to call their own. And supports in the community that help them to succeed in living in their own place."