'It takes all of us': Homelessness forum hears from community

Humanity Project founder Charles Burrellsays he believes homelessness will be solved by the community working together.

"It takes all of us. It's not going to take the rich or the poor, it's going to take all of us to help solve this issue."

Burrell was one of the panellists who took part in a forum onMoncton's affordable housing crisis.

Close to 300 people filled the Peter McKee Community Food Centre Tuesday nightto hear from panellists,to ask questions of their own or to offer suggestions.

Burrell said what he's learned from running a damp shelter this winter is that homelessness can't be solved with cookie cutter solutions.

"For every person that I've ever met that was homeless, their reasons for being homeless are as unique as the individuals themselves."

Finding services tohelp each person is key, said Burrell, a sentiment echoed by Headstartfounder and former Moncton MPClaudetteBradshaw, who said it begins with community.

"Too often, we've created programs for poverty, for mental health that fail," she said. "So we've got to make sure there are no more programs where they fail."

Burrell was joined on the panel by Lisa Ryan, director of YMCA MonctonReConnect Street Intervention Program and Vincent Merola, the City ofMoncton'scommunity development officer for social inclusion.

CBC's Vanessa Blanch moderated the forum that waslive streamed on CBC New Brunswick Facebook page, on Twitterand on cbc.ca/nb.

Seeking Shelter: A Community Conversation about Homelessness is a CBC project that has included interviews with advocates and experts and with people who have experiencedhomelessness, some of them featured in the following Q&As.

The project grew out of CBC reporting last fall on problems facing homeless people as the weather got colder.

The goal was to bring people in the community and from across the provincetogether to discuss possible solutions to housing insecurity.