Fredericton ‘low-barrier’ homeless shelter shuts down

A homeless shelter in Fredericton shut down after a temporary approval wasn’t extended.

A homeless shelter in Fredericton with 33 beds has shut down following the expiration of a zoning variance which temporarily allowed it on the New Brunswick Exhibition grounds.

The city announced last month it wouldn’t extend the shelter’s lease at the former Winner’s Lounge building beyond April 30.

“It’s a sad day for us,” says Warren Maddox, executive director of Fredericton Homeless Shelters Inc. “We made great progress and helped a lot of people. We were getting people who had normally not been able to access shelters, able to access shelters.”

The “low-barrier” shelter was equipped to welcome people with active addictions, including staff who were trained to administer naloxone, de-escalate situations and connect clients with other resources or supports.

The shelter opened in December 2024, with temporary approval from the city to bring people off the streets during the coldest months when they couldn’t find housing elsewhere, and other shelters were at capacity. The need proved to go beyond the winter months, with the shelter consistently hitting its peak capacity.

Maddox says the hope is for there to be some kind of out-of-the-cold permanent shelter solution in place well before next winter’s arrival, but says there’s no idea or plan that has gained traction.

In a statement Friday, Fredericton City Hall says homelessness and poverty are provincial responsibilities.

“The city understands that, given the province’s responsibilities in this area, the Department of Social Development is actively working on alternative supports,” says the statement. “The city will continue supporting provincial efforts to address the social housing challenges in Fredericton.”

Maddox says there were challenges in getting zoning approvals from the city for any new location, ahead of the shelter’s closure.

Maddox says people who were staying at the low-barrier shelter will now likely leave the shelter system altogether, with some going into the woods, and most going downtown.

“We’ve got people who are going to be sleep deprived, they’re probably going to be using meth, which is even worse,” says Maddox. “You’re going to have people who are not in a good place mentally or physically, and they’ll be downtown.”

With files from CTV News’s Laura Brown

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