Why are people so uncomfortable seeing unhoused individuals? Ensemble’s Executive Director asked that question during a presentation to Moncton City Council this month.
Debby Warren is preparing to retire at the end of the year, and she is challenging everyone to think about the kind of community we should be when it comes to homelessness and addiction disorders.
“We’ve seen the comments and the photos about people upset about unhoused individuals with addiction disorders hanging out around Ensemble. There have been calls for us to move to the industrial park so they don’t have to see them. Just recently, during the election campaign, we heard the threat of shutting down part of our services. But let’s ask ourselves, why are we so quick to turn away instead of reaching out? Over the years, new, expensive buildings have been constructed, but homelessness still exists. Moving the homeless to another site won’t solve the problem. It just hides it. Homelessness is not an eyesore, it’s a reality of our community. These are people facing incredible challenges, many of whom use our services for support. They deserve compassion, not avoidance.”
Ensemble provides a needle distribution service to over 1900 individuals. It also has an overdose prevention site that serves around 375 individuals. It also has a full-time nurse practitioner provided by Vitalite Health Network, and a social worker on-site twice a week to provide one-on-one counselling. There is also a quiet room so that people can decompress their central nervous system.
Warren adds they also have a wellness navigator, who assists 400 individuals to access health care services, housing, and other community services and helps reconnect them with their family members.
Warren also told City Council they have a harm reduction educator who provides education on harm reduction principles, and Naloxone training to healthcare workers, service providers and individuals in our community.
There are many stories of survival coming out of Ensemble, including one that Warren shared with Council members.
“Her name is Keisha. She works for Ensemble Services now, but when she came to us, she was homeless, disconnected from family, and in the throes of addiction disorder. She accessed services, became comfortable and had a trusting relationship with the staff. She started to share her story, and the staff were able to work with her to identify what she needed help in,” Warren says.
“Harvest House initially had her housed in the shelter. John Howard, Rising Tide, Salvation Army, Reconnect, Salvage and Ensemble all worked with this individual. Many resources came together to give her hope, to give her stability in her life. I’m proud to call her one of my staff members who works 21 hours a week. She’s now in constant contact with her children. She’s one of many successes that Ensemble and our partners in the community are able to bring forth.”
Warren adds we need to address the root causes of homelessness, including a lack of affordable housing, poverty, mental health support, trauma, addictions and disorders.
“We need to recognize that homelessness won’t be solved by shuffling people away from city centres. It requires real, compassionate solutions, housing support services and community involvement.”
