An
      increase
      in
      community
     
     
      awareness,
      coupled
      with
      necessary
     
     
      long-term
      finding,
      constitutes
      the
     
     
      major
      elements
      necessary
      for
      allevi-
     
     
      ating
      the
      escalation
      of
      homelessness
     
     
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
    

    
     
      Fortunately
      this
       long-
     
     
      ignored
      subject
      has
      come
      to
      the
     
     
      forefront
      of
      community
      affairs
     
     
      thanks
      to
      a
      committee
      of
      concerned
     
     
      citizens
      dedicated
      to
      achieving
      a
     
     
      solution
      to
      what
      has
      become
      a
     
     
      major
      issue
      in
      our
      provincial
      capi-
     
     
      tal.
      ha
     
    

    
     
      “Our
      main
      concern
      right
     
     
      now
      lies
      in
      determining
      the
      imme-
     
     
      diate
      needs
      of
      people
      who
      are
      in
      a
     
     
      desperate
      situation,”
      said
      Morris
     
     
      MacIntyre,
      chair
      of
      the
      Steering
     
     
      Committee
      on
      Homelessness.
     
     
      “From
      there
      we
      can
      set
      up
      the
      nec-
     
     
      essary
      steps
      [to
      solve
      the
      prob-
     
     
      lem].”
     
    

    
     
      The,
      ,committee
      _
      defines
     
     
      homelessness
      as
      being
      absolutely
     
     
      without
      a
      dwelling
      place
      where
      one
     
     
      has
      a
      right
      to
      remain,
      at
      any
      time
     
     
      and
      on
      an
      extended
      basis.
      As
      well,
     
     
      those
      found
      to
      be
      living
      in
      unfit
     
     
      premises
      in
      combination
      of
      dirt,
     
     
      vermin,
      rodents,
      lack
      of
      amenities,
     
     
      lack
      of
      heat,
      physical
      danger,
      wood
     
     
      rot,
      crowding,
      or
      otherwise
     
     
      unhealthy
      and
      unsafe
      conditions,
     
     
      also
      qualify
      as
      homeless.
      In
      consid-
     
     
      ering
      these
      guidelines
      MacIntyre
     
     
      stated
      that
      there
      my
      be
      as
      many
      as
     
     
      100
      homeless
      people
      living
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      at
      any
      given
      time.
     
    

    
     
      “Being
      homeless
      doesn’t
     
     
      necessarily
      mean
      you’re
      out
      on
      the
     
     
      street
      with
      nowhere
      to
      live,”
     
     
      MacIntyre
      pointed
      out.
      “There
      are
     
     
      many
      more
      people
      living
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      who
      are
      forced
      to
     
     
      survive
      in
      inadequate
      shelter.”
      —
     
    

    
     
      Currently
      the
      Supporting
     
     
      Community
      Partners
      Initiative
     
     
      (SCPI)
      program
      has
      been
      imple-
     
     
      mented
      to
      help
      curb
      the
      severity
      of
     
     
      the
      homeless
      _—
      issue
      —siin
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Charlottetown.
      The
      program,
      fund-
     
     
      ed
      by
      the
      federal
      government,
      has
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      provided
      one
      million
      dollars
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      province
      of
      PEI
      over
      the
      next
      three
     
     
      years.
      After
      that,
      as
      MacIntyre
     
     
      explained,
      the
      program
      will
      be
      shut
     
     
      down.
     
    

    
     
      “One
      of
      our
      top
      priorities
     
     
      lies
      in
      figuring
      out
      how
      to
      support
     
     
      this
      action
      beyond
      three
      years,”
      he
     
     
      said.
      “We
      need:
      financial
      sustain-
     
     
      ability
      in
      order
      to
      continue
      in
      a
      pos-
     
     
      itive
      direction.
      ©
     
    

    
     
      “It’s
      up
      to
      the
      organizations
     
     
      involved
      in
      this
      effort
      to
      make
      sure
     
     
      there
      will
      be
      funding
      in
      place
     
     
      beyond
      three
      years.
      I’m
      sure
      the
     
     
      community
      will
      get
      behind
      us
      as
     
     
      well.”
     
     
      The
      issue
      of
      homelessness
     
     
      in
      Charlottetown
      has
      only
      recently
     
    
   
   
    
     
      come
      to
      the
      forefront
      of
      public
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      attention.
      John
      Eldon
      Green,
      the
     
     
      lead
      consultant
      with
      the
      Steering
     
     
      Committee
      on
      Homelessness,
      cites
     
     
      federal
      government
      policy
      with
     
     
      regards
      to
      unemployment
      insurance
     
     
      and
      welfare
      assistance
      as
      being
     
     
      major
      contributing
      factors
      in
      the
     
     
      continual
      upswing
      of
      homelessness
     
     
      on
      the
      Island
      over
      the
      past
      few
     
     
      years.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      situation
      has
      changed
     
     
      drastically
      in
      recent
      years
      as
      a
      result
     
     
      of
      the
      federal
      governments
      tighten-
     
     
      ing
      of
      the
      unemployment
      insurance
     
     
      policy,”
      Green
      explained.
      “The
     
     
      changes
      reduced
      the
      number
      of
      peo-
     
     
      ple
      eligible
      for
      unemployment.
     
     
      Combined
      with
      changes
      to
      welfare
     
     
      assistance
      programs
      these
      changes
     
     
      have
      created
      a
      new
      population
      of
     
     
      homeless
      people
      ~
      [in
     
     
      Charlottetown].”
     
    

    
     
      Both
      MacIntyre
      and
      Green
     
     
      cited
      a
      lack
      of
      emergency
      shelter
     
     
      and
      affordable
      housing
      as
      immedi-
     
     
      ate
      needs
      to
      be
      addressed.
      In
      partic-
     
     
      ular,
      a
      lack
      of
      adequate
      housing
      for
     
     
      youth,
      single
      mothers,
      those
      coping
     
     
      with
      addictions,
      and
      former
      offend-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ers
      was
      revealed
      in
      a
      preliminary
     
     
      report
      dealing
      with
      the
      homeless
     
     
      situation.
      The
      report
      determined
     
     
      that
      an
      emergency
      (short-stay)
     
     
      facility
      for
      up
      to
      10
      males
      and
      8
     
     
      females
      was
      a
      priority
      need.
      As
     
     
      well,
      an
      8
      to
      12
      person
      shelter
      for
     
     
      persons
      exiting
      the
      addictions
     
     
      detoxification
      program
      and
      an
      eight
     
     
      unit
      shelter
      for
      adult
      women
      also
     
     
      qualify
      as
      being
      of
      the
      utmost
     
     
      importance.
     
    

    
     
      “One
      of
      our
      main
      aims
      is
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      provide
      shelter
      for
      youth
      who,
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      reason
      or
      another,
      are
      unable
      to
     
     
      live
      at
      home
      with
      their
      parents,”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Macintyre
      ‘said.
      “Currently
      there
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      two
      or
      three
      locations
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      that
      we
      are
      consider-
     
     
      ing
      as
      being
      suitable
      venues
      for
     
     
      shelters.”
      ev.
     
    

    
     
      With
      an
      increased
      need
      for
     
     
      shelter
      comes
      an
      increase
      in
      the
     
     
      need
      for
      proper
      counselling
      services
     
     
      for
      homeless
      ,people
      as_
      well.
     
     
      MacIntyre
      stressed
      the
      importance
     
     
      of
      developing
      a
      directory
      of
      avail-
     
     
      able
      services
      in‘the
      Charlottetown
     
     
      area
      for
      people
      in
      need.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      need
      proper
      coun-
     
     
      selling
      and
      support
      systems
      in
     
     
      place,”
      he
      said.
      “We
      must
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      relate
      to
      these
      people
      if
      we
      are
      to
     
     
      help
      them.”
     
    

    
     
      Once
      the
      Steering
     
     
      Committee’s
      final
      report
      is
      released
     
     
      on
      March
      10,
      a
      major
      effort
      will
      be
     
     
      put
      in
      to
      raising
      enough
      money
      to
     
     
      maintain
      adequate
      shelters
      and
     
     
      services
      for
      homeless
      _
      people.
     
     
      Without
      sufficient
      funding
      the
      com-
     
     
      mittee’s
      plan
      would
      be
      unable
      to
      be
     
     
      implemented
      and,
      as
      MacIntyre
     
     
      pointed
      out,
      the
      problem
      of
      home-
     
     
      lessness
      would
      remain
      an
      unsolved
     
     
      issue.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      have
      funding
      in
      place
     
     
      for
      the
      next
      three
      years
      but
      once
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      money
      runs
      out
      we
      can’t
      just
     
    
   
   
    
     
      shut
      the
      operation
      down,”
      he
     
     
      explained.
      “The
      provincial
      govern-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘ment
      has
      been
      approached
      and
      once
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our
      study
      is
      completed
      and
      we
      have
     
     
      the
      pieces
      in
      place
      we’ll
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      determine
      what
      they
      can
      con-
     
     
      tribute.”
     
    

    
     
      Green
      echoed
      Maclntyre’s
     
     
      sentiments
      in
      calling
      for
      a
      means
      to
     
     
      continue
      raising
      funds
      for
      the
      proj-
     
     
      ect.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      need
      an
      action
      plan
      in
     
     
      order
      to
      determine
      where
      to
      receive
     
     
      on-going
      funding,”
      Green
      stated.
     
     
      “People
      are
      waiting
      to
      take
      a
      more
     
     
      active
      role
      in
      solving
      this
      problem.”
     
    

    
     
      In
      order
      to
      increase
      commu-
     
     
      nity
      support
      and
      funding
      MacIntyre
     
     
      cited
      the
      need
      for
      improved
      coordi-
     
     
      nation
      between
      the
      various
      social
     
     
      entities
      which
      are
      eager
      to
      lend
      their
     
     
      aid.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      have
      many
      peeple
      and
     
     
      various.
      organizations
      coming
      on
     
     
      board
      to
      lend
      their
      help,”
      MacIntyre
     
     
      stated.
      “Right
      now
      these
      people
      and
     
     
      groups
      are
      not
      working
      together.”
     
    

    
     
      Public
      support
      of
      the
     
     
      Steering
      Committee’s
      intentions,
     
     
      though
      slow
      in
      developing,
      has
     
     
      been
      increasing
      as
      more
      people
     
     
      become
      aware
      of
      the
      increasing
     
     
      seriousness
      of
      the
      homeless
      issue
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown.
      As
      well,
      municipal
     
     
      support
      on
      behalf
      of
      city
      council
     
     
      and
      the
      Charlottetown
      Police
      is
      on
     
     
      the
      rise.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      city
      is
      behind
      us
      but
     
     
      it’s
      too
      early
      to
      tell
      what
      they
      can
      do
     
     
      to
      help,”
      MacIntyre
      said.
      “Once
      the
     
     
      study
      is
      complete
      we’ll
      have
      a
      bet-
     
     
      ter
      idea
      of
      what
      can
      be
      done.
     
    

    
     
      “Word
      is
      getting
      out
      in
      the
     
     
      public
      and
      people
      are
      realizing
     
     
      there
      is
      a
      very
      serious
      problem.”
     
    

    
     
      A
      public
      meeting
      dealing
     
     
      with
      the
      issue
      of
      homelessness
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      and
      on
      PEI
      will
      be
     
     
      held
      upon
      the
      release
      of
      the
     
     
      Steering
      Committee’s
      report
      on
     
     
      March
      10.