Tent city protesters are scoffing at suggestions that they’re talking homeless residents out of accepting housing options from government.
Jude Benoit, who was living in a tent at Colonial Building herself until recently, says she and other volunteer protesters are there to fill the gaps not covered off by the province.
She was responding to comments by Housing Minister Fred Hutton who suggested the protesters are impeding rather than helping the situation.
Nine months after the tents moved from Confederation Hill to downtown St. John’s, Benoit says people are still there because the housing options they’ve been offered are inadequate.
Benoit says in the interim, Tent City For Change supporters have been doing what they can to help the homeless residents by offering tents, raising funds and offering food, as well as propane “to keep them warm and from freezing to death.”
But she flatly denies telling the homeless not to accept homes.
“We, as the volunteer protesters, are there for them. If they find a place and they want to move in, we help them move in. If they need furniture for that place, we help them find the furniture. We bring them food, we check in on them to make sure they continue to be as safe as possible,” she said.
“We form those relationships even after they leave tent city. But we certainly don’t encourage them to stay if they don’t want to stay.”
Benoit notes some have availed of shelters offered by the province, but many have returned citing dirty and dangerous living conditions.