Advocacy Centre
From: Beyond Shelters
$1.90
Proposes that, while continuing to deliver essential services to men and women in states of emergency and providing assistance in finding and keeping housing, homeless shelters are well placed to advocate for better public policy in fighting poverty, mental illness and high housing costs which are the main drivers of homelessness in the first place. Uses Fredericton Homeless Shelters as a case study.
Contributors
Brian Duplessis
Brian Duplessis was most recently the Executive Director of the United Way of Central New Brunswick. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of the Fredericton Homeless Shelters. In just under three years at the shelters, Brian led significant change. By bringing community groups and government agencies together, long-term clients were successfully transitioned back into the community and a dangerous environment was transformed into a much safer one. Overall use of the shelters declined significantly. Brian grew up in a challenging environment in public housing in Saint John, New Brunswick, but went on to a successful international career in corporate communications and government relations. After returning to Canada to take up an executive position with NB Power, he moved into the non-profit world including serving a term as co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, the Crown Corporation established to implement the province’s Poverty Reduction Plan. In 2009, the University of New Brunswick’s Renaissance College presented him with their Unsung Leader’s Award for the work he has done on poverty issues in the community.
