City of Saint John Green Zones
- Connects individuals to services and the path to transition to more permanent housing options.
- Increases safety and security with on-site amenities.
- Reduces community impacts like litter and needle debris.
- Supports ongoing community efforts to address homelessness.
- Respect for personal property and space
- No violence or activities that compromise the safety and well-being of residents.
- Compliance with local health and safety regulations
- Participation in available services, such as case management or health check-ups.
- Tents are not allowed to be set up with in the Neighbourly Homes complex or on Green Zone sites.
- Capacity: Each zone can accommodate up to 25 individuals.
- Support: 12Neighbours Inc. operates Neighbourly Homes with support from community agencies.
- Security: Neighbourly Homes will be self-contained and have controlled access to ensure safety and respect for residents.
- Maintenance: Daily upkeep by Neighbourly Homes, with help from pest control and waste management services, and staff of the City of Saint John.
What has Common Council done to advance the development of "Green Zones" in the City of Saint John?
In a significant step forward for the City's Housing for All Strategy, Saint John Common Council has officially designated two properties—Egbert Street and Thorne Avenue—as “Green Zones”. Additionally, Council has entered into an agreement with 12 Neighbours Inc. to develop and operate Neighbourly Homes communities at these sites.
Green Zones are City-owned properties that provide legally sanctioned, safe transitional housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. These sites offer essential services exclusively to residents, creating a structured pathway toward stable and permanent housing.
While the Green Zone designation establishes the physical space, 12 Neighbours Inc. will oversee the construction and operation of the secure transitional housing communities. Each site will consist of four courtyards, housing a minimum of 27 residents per location. The communities will also include two accessible units and accommodations for couples.
Neighbourly Homes: A Scalable and Supportive Housing Model
Founded by Marcel LeBrun, 12 Neighbours Inc. has been a leader in providing stable, permanent housing solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness in Fredericton. The Neighbourly Homes model features courtyard-style housing that can be built quickly, with up to 14 individual heated mini-units per courtyard. Each unit includes a bed, lighting, internet, and secure entry, ensuring dignity and safety for residents.
Each site includes shared kitchen, washroom, and laundry facilities, as well as 24/7 on-site staffing and wrap-around support services, helping residents transition toward independent living.
Prioritizing Those Most in Need
Placement in the Green Zones will be determined through the Coordinated Access System and Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), ensuring those most in need have priority access to the housing.
The Egbert Street site is expected to open mid-summer 2025, with the Thorne Avenue site following in late fall.
A Community-Wide Commitment to Ending Homelessness
The Housing for All Strategy reflects the City of Saint John's compassionate and people-centred approach to addressing homelessness. Over the next three years, the strategy will work towards homelessness becoming a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience, while supporting individuals in finding housing that meets their unique needs.
What are Green Zones and how do they relate to Neighbourly Homes?
The City of Saint John recognizes that every resident is entitled to a safe, supported and sustainable home. While indoor sheltering and supportive housing options (including emergency shelters, clinical care, transitional housing, semi-dependent housing, independent social housing and affordable housing) are the responsibility of the Province of New Brunswick and their service providers, the City recognizes the need to support unsheltered residents as they work to access housing that meets their specific needs.
The City of Saint John's Housing for All Strategy recognizes the need to create designated areas where homeless individuals can access legal and safe provisional shelter with support and amenities, including shelter, food, sanitation, and healthcare.
Green Zones are City-owned properties that provide legally sanctioned, safe provisional shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. These designated transitional lodging sites offer essential services—including shelter, food, sanitation, and healthcare—exclusively to those residing there, with the goal of supporting their transition to more stable housing.
While Green Zones define the physical space, 12 Neighbours Inc. operates Neighbourly Homes, constructing the residences and managing the community to ensure that residents receive the necessary support and amenities to aid in their journey toward living independently.
What are the benefits of Green Zones?
Green Zones provide immediate safe and hygienic sites for individuals experiencing homelessness in Saint John to live while providing a consistent/predictable location for service providers and outreach workers to provide needed social services.
Additionally, Neighbourly Homes, operated in Green Zones, provide broader community benefits such as reduction in trash and debris, the mitigation of health and environmental hazards, and the ability to restore green space previously occupied by scattered encampments to its previous use.
Benefits:
Who can stay in a Green Zone? What if I need help relocating to a Neighbourly Homes unit in a Green Zone?
Placement in a Green Zone is managed through coordinated access, facilitated by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada via the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System. This process ensures appropriate placement initially and continues as individuals transition to housing that better meets their needs.
Anyone seeking relocation from an encampment will work alongside the outreach team to determine the best available option. If a suitable housing placement isn’t immediately available, individuals may be placed in a shelter. To be considered for housing placement, individuals must be listed on the By-Names List (BNL), which is a real-time list of all people known to be experiencing homelessness in the Saint John area.
Where can I go until a unit is available for me at the Green Zone?
If a Neighbourly Homes site is at capacity, outreach teams will work to find alternative solutions for individuals, such as connecting them with emergency shelters, temporary housing, or other available resources.
The City of Saint John will also monitor the capacity and demand for Green Zones. If needed, additional areas can be designated to accommodate more individuals.
How do I know where the Green Zones are located?
The City of Saint John has recently approved two Green Zone sites. The sites are being developed by Neighbourly Homes, with the anticipated opening of the Egbert Street location mid-summer 2025 and the Thorne Avenue location in mid-fall 2025.
Green Zones are designated areas where homeless individuals can access provisional shelter with support and amenities. These sites temporary safe and legal shelter for the individuals who live there and are not open to the public.
What type of shelter and services are available in Green Zones?
Each Green Zone location is City-owned and will consist of up to 27 individual heated units that are operated by a service provider, Neighbourly Homes. Each individual unit is equipped with a locked door, bed, heat, lights and internet.
There will be a shared space dedicated as an washrooms/shower facilities, laundry facilities, communal kitchen and a multi-purpose space. There is also an administrative office on each site.
The property will be self-contained, with security cameras and staffed 24/7 to ensure a safe and secure environment. Each Neighbourly Homes site consists of two courtyards with up to 14 units per courtyard.
Are there any rules or guidelines for staying in a Neighbourly Homes unit? How does the City of Saint John ensure safety in Green Zones?
Neighbourly Homes have rules to ensure safety and maintain order. These include:
Neighbourly Homes Guidelines
Safety is a priority in Green Zones. The areas are regularly monitored and there are established protocols for handling disputes or emergencies.
The Saint John Police Force Quick Response Team will provide regular patrols to the area to provided added support to the community and the residents living at the Green Zone sites. Police involvement is available if necessary to maintain a safe environment.
How long can someone stay in a Neighbourly Homes unit? What long-term solutions are in place for individuals staying in Green Zones?
Stays in Neighbourly Homes units are designed to be temporary, with the goal of transitioning individuals into more permanent housing or care solutions. Individuals need to be able to take care of their basic daily needs.
The City of Saint John works with housing authorities, non-profits, and social service agencies to create pathways from Green Zones to permanent housing. This may involve access to subsidized housing, job training programs, and continued case management support.
The length of stay varies depending on individual circumstances and the availability of long-term housing options.
How can residents support the success of Green Zones?
Residents can support Green Zones by donating to local shelters, volunteering with outreach programs, or advocating for policies that promote housing and support services. Additionally, understanding the role of Green Zones in addressing homelessness can foster a more compassionate community response.
How is this project being funded?
Earlier this year, the City of Saint John was awarded $3.5 million in federal and provincial funding through the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative. This funding, available over two years, will directly support the establishment and operation of Neighbourly Homes on these two Green Zone sites.