P.E.I. Liberal MLA calls for investigation following death of homeless man

P.E.I. Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly says Prince Edward Islanders have to know extra in regards to the occasions main as much as the demise of Donnie Handrahan, an Alberton man who drowned within the Hillsborough River after having been turned away from a homeless shelter.

As reported within the Japanese Graphic, Handrahan had sought a mattress at Deacon Home, a shelter for males coping with dependancy, on Nov. 3, 2021. Handrahan was turned away as a consequence of a scarcity of beds on the shelter. The Graphic reported Handrahan had joked with pals that he would leap off a bridge if he didn’t receive a mattress. Deacon Home is operated by Well being P.E.I.

On April 27, the Graphic additionally reported two overflow beds have been obtainable on the close by Bedford-MacDonald Home for males, run by the Salvation Military.

Each SaltWire Community and the Graphic have reported a number of accounts of purchasers or pals of purchasers of Bedford-MacDonald Home who’ve mentioned the shelter turned them away, generally as a consequence of intoxication. Salvation Military employees have informed SaltWire purchasers aren’t turned away as a consequence of dependancy.

“We all know the shelters weren’t full, and preparations ought to and will have been made … for Mr. Handrahan on a darkish November night time,” McNeilly informed the legislature on April 27.

“Query to the premier: Will you request an investigation as to what went mistaken that night time in regard to our shelter help programs?”

Premier Dennis King known as Handrahan’s demise a “unhappy, robust story” and mentioned he was sorry that it occurred. He didn’t decide to a public, exterior investigation.

“We all know the shelters weren’t full, and preparations ought to and will have been made … for Mr. Handrahan on a darkish November night time.”

Gord McNeilly

“I don’t know if an investigation is the following logical step, however I imply, I’d by no means shut the door to attempting to be taught as a lot as we presumably can to enhance upon this,” King mentioned.

In an interview, McNeilly mentioned the incident must be investigated to make sure homeless Islanders are secure.

“He was positively turned away from Deacon Home. I wish to know if he was at Bedford MacDonald home that night time and in the event that they have been in full use of these beds. If now we have a shelter line, why was he not supplied a lodge room as a resort to after that?” McNeilly mentioned.

Shelter assets

P.E.I.’s shelter help line: 1-833-220-4722.

• Bedford MacDonald Home and Deacon Home phone-in bookings: 1-833-220-4722 or dial 211.
• Bedford MacDonald Home males’s shelter in Charlottetown: 902-892-9242.
• Blooming Home, ladies’s shelter in Charlottetown: 902-213-9969.
• Deacon Home, in a single day shelter for grownup males with addictions in Charlottetown: 1-833-220-4722 or dial 211.
• Anderson Home, emergency shelter for girls and kids experiencing violence in Charlottetown: 1-800-240-9894 or 902-892-0960.
• Chief Mary Bernard Memorial Girls’s Shelter, for girls and kids on Lennox Island: 1-855-297-2332 (disaster line) or 902-831-2332.
• Group Outreach Centre, 241 Euston St., daytime drop-in in Charlottetown: 902-367-3884.

In an interview, Social Growth and Housing Minister Brad Trivers mentioned division employees regarded into what occurred on Nov. 3.

“It was fairly apparent that Deacon Home and Bedford MacDonald Home weren’t in shut sufficient communication. So, that is one thing I really feel that we have improved now. And we have got a typical method of how we take care of our purchasers,” Trivers mentioned.

“If one shelter is full, the opposite is conscious that they are often referred straight.”

An electronic mail from Trivers’ division clarified that Handrahan didn’t try and entry Bedford-MacDonald Home on Nov. 3 and didn’t entry a shelter reserving telephone line that night time.

The e-mail additionally mentioned the division had launched a social media and bus advert marketing campaign in regards to the shelter reserving telephone line, which permits purchasers to guide a mattress prematurely. As well as, the e-mail mentioned the division is working to “streamline entry to each males’s shelters”.

Case administration

However McNeilly believes Handrahan’s demise might be a symptom of extra widespread issues with the province’s transitional housing, which is meant to supply a extra long-term, steady step up from shelters.

McNeilly believes extra widespread case administration providers aren’t being supplied to Charlottetown’s homeless inhabitants, a lot of whom could also be coping with trauma, dependancy and psychological well being challenges.

“The provincial authorities must have a case administration load of 40 to 50 purchasers,” McNeilly mentioned.

“That by no means makes any individual really feel like any individual is supporting them. It is simply in, sleep, out on the streets.”

– Gord McNeilly

“Identical to packages for Veterans’ Affairs – they know the place they’re, they’re caring for folks. We’re not doing that.”

McNeilly mentioned males’s shelters like Bedford-MacDonald Home and Deacon Home have to be open 24 hours, as was really helpful in a 2019 evaluate of Charlottetown’s shelter providers. At current these shelters are open 12 hours a day, whereas a separate Group Outreach Centre on Euston Road is open throughout daytime hours for day programming.

“That by no means makes any individual really feel like house. That by no means makes any individual really feel like any individual is supporting them. It is simply in, sleep, out on the streets,” McNeilly mentioned.

No-barrier shelter

Trivers has beforehand mentioned demand for shelter beds in Charlottetown exceeded capability this winter. He additionally mentioned a “no-barrier” shelter for people scuffling with dependancy doesn’t at the moment exist. Some Islanders are being turned away from shelters as a consequence of both behaviour or as a consequence of their dependancy.

The Japanese Graphic reported that Bedford MacDonald turned away males 196 occasions between February and December 2021. Sixty-eight of those cases have been as a consequence of a scarcity of beds whereas 63 have been as a consequence of “excessive intoxication.” Twenty-one turn-aways have been as a consequence of behavioural points.