Homelessness in New Brunswick’s three largest cities continues to be a major concern among residents in each, according to a new survey.
The survey, done by Narrative Research asked participants in Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton how they felt about the severity of homelessness in their respective communities according to Narrative COO Margaret Chapman.
“A total of 1100 people were asked how serious a problem they felt homelessness was in their city and then we also asked them whether there had been a noticeable change in their view of the number of homeless.” stated Chapman.
On a scale of 1-10, (where 1 is “not at all serious” and 10 being “the most serious,”) 32% of those who responded in Moncton ranked the issue a “10” on the scale, compared to 25% of respondents in Fredericton, and 19% in Saint John who answered 10.
Chapman says average responses to the severity of homelessness for each city varied but were still relatively close.
“In Moncton it was 8%, and in Fredericton 7.5% and in Saint John 7.3% – clearly it shows there’s a strong recognition that this is a serious problem in each of these three cities, stated Chapman.
In each city, only 5% or fewer residents rated the issue between 1 and 3 on the scale, or “not very serious.”
Residents were also asked, based on their knowledge and observations, whether the number of homeless people living in their cities has changed over the past 12 months.
In Moncton and Fredericton, more people think the homeless population has increased than think it has stayed the same. In Saint John, opinion was divided – with 40% believing the number has risen (versus 41% who believe it is unchanged).
In Moncton, 62% believed the number of homeless people has risen (compared to 24% who believe the number has stayed the same). In Fredericton, 49% felt the homeless population has increased (compared to 35% who felt it as unchanged).
Narrative Research was formerly known as Corporate Research Associates. The survey results are part of Narrative Research’s Urban Report, an independent quarterly telephone survey in the Maritimes’ major urban areas.
The questions on homelessness were posed to 400 adult residents in each of Fredericton and Moncton, and 300 adult residents in Saint John, from April 17 to May 7, 2019.
