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Fredericton Council Urges Provincial Leadership on Homelessness
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Council Pushes Province to Lead Homelessness Strategy
Fredericton’s newly elected council voted to endorse three provincially funded housing projects and formally declared that addressing homelessness, housing, health care, mental-health, addictions and related social services is primarily a provincial responsibility. The motion emphasizes that the city’s role is limited to land-use planning, infrastructure, public spaces and mitigating municipal impacts, while the province handles planning, funding, coordination, delivery and evaluation.
Background and Recent Initiatives
The resolutions build on a community-safety taskforce created under former mayor Kate Rogers, which produced an online dashboard listing 47 initiatives and assigning jurisdictional responsibility. Most initiatives fall under provincial authority. Council also approved a mayoral letter requesting a review of the concentration of addiction, mental-health and homelessness services on King and Westmorland streets and at the Victoria Health Centre, describing the area as a “corridor of undesirable activity.”
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Steve Hicks stressed the need for provincial urgency, noting that homelessness drives up policing costs and affects residents, businesses and downtown operations. He declined to take on shelter management, saying the city “offers this up to help” but does not build or run shelters.
Councillor Jocelyn Pike echoed the “corridor of undesirable activity” description, while newly elected Councillor Kate Hunter said compassion exists but the area is unsafe. Councillor Jason LeJeune linked the resolutions to a deeper partnership with the province, emphasizing that vulnerable residents deserve better support.
Chief Administrative Officer Steve Hart highlighted the difficulty of locating supportive-housing sites, acknowledging resident concerns but asserting that supportive housing is “foundational to the solution” and that the city must assist the province in site selection.
Verbatim Quote
- “We know that these projects can be difficult at times when it comes time to choose a location and our residents understandably have questions and concerns,” — Steve Hart