Something’s got to give: A statement by the Green party leader on National Housing Day
Fredericton — David Coon, Leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick and MLA for Fredericton South, is calling on the government to provide adequate funding for homelessness initiatives across the province.
“Homelessness and housing insecurity is the number one issue I deal with at my constituency office,” said Coon. “Our homeless shelters need support, our Housing First strategies need support, and we need more subsidized units for low-income New Brunswickers.”
In 2014, 1270 New Brunswickers were on the wait list for a subsidized housing unit. In Fredericton alone, between 700 and 800 people annually are without housing.
The provincial government is in the process of developing its budget for 2017/2018.
“Something’s got to give,” said Coon. “We have been counting and measuring homelessness long enough. It is time the provincial government invest in its citizens by ensuring every person has a safe, warm place to sleep at night.”