In the wake of Moncton’s tent city residents being evicted with no plan from the government on how to address the very real issue of homelessness, Cathy Rogers calls on the Higgs government to act.

“As elected officials, we have the duty to ensure the safety of our citizens and to protect the most vulnerable of society,” said Rogers. “The cold weather will soon be setting in, and if we do not have a plan to ensure shelter for those with no place to take refuge from the cold this winter, we will be failing them.”

Community groups across the province are using their best efforts to address the problem, but the provincial government has yet to step up and be part of the solution. With shelters already at capacity, the province must work in collaboration with community groups to find solutions before the winter months.

“The Higgs government cannot claim that they did not anticipate this problem,” says Cathy Rogers. “The truth is that they have chosen to ignore it.”

In the last provincial budget, deep cuts were made to programs that support the most vulnerable. Shelters are intended to be a short-term solution for people in immediate need. There is an urgent demand for transition and long-term housing solutions.

“There are too many people and too many families living in precarious housing situations,” concluded Rogers. “The government is showing indifference to the plight of the homeless. It is totally unacceptable”