With negotiations said to be continuing the executive director of Housing Alternatives is ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the now shuttered youth facility in the South end, Safe Harbour, will be reopened.
Kit Hickey, who is on the board of directors for Safe Harbour, tells us they’re hoping they will be able to make some announcements in the not-too-distant future.
The facility on Broad Street which gave emergency and transitional housing for homeless and at-risk youth shut down at the end of January after being open for less than a year because of a lack of funding. Hickey says that’s the last thing they wanted to see happen.
“We’re working hard we have not given up on our commitment to reopening the doors and I’m hoping that we will have something before too much longer,” says Hickey.
Saint John-Harbour MLA Ed Doherty says they’re working very hard to get Safe Harbour reopened though he can’t give a timeline on when we might see something concrete.
“All I can say is that I’ve been reassured we’ve been working on this on a weekly basis to make sure that it happens and I was reassured yesterday that it’s coming along nicely,” says Doherty.
As well he says he’s be assured all the previous residents of Safe Harbour are well looked after, are all in programs and doing well.
With a lean registered against the building by the contractor, all of the fundraising options for Safe Harbour dried up and the facility shut its doors on January 28 of this year. The 10-bed shelter for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 opened officially on March 17 of last year.
