A distinct Atlantic Canadian approach needs to be developed to address homelessness in the region.

That’s according to Doug Pawson, the Executive Director of End Homelessness St. John’s, who was among a group of people from this province in attendance at a recent national conference that drew some 1,800 delegates from across the country.

The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness held a conference in Halifax last week in response to the approximately 300,000 Canadians who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Executive Director of End Homelessness St. John’s, Doug Pawson says a panel discussion was convened on addressing homelessness in the Atlantic Region.

He says a distinct approach, developed specifically for the Atlantic Region, to ensure that they don’t miss out when it comes to big federal policies designed for more populous cities.

Pawson says there was a lot of interest on the work being done in Newfoundland and Labrador to address the growing problem.

That includes ongoing discussions with landlords and the integration of health services into housing.