We respectfully acknowledge that we live and work on the unsurrendered and unceded territory and traditional lands of the Wolastoqiyik, Peskotomuhkati, and Mi’kmaq Peoples.
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Mandate Overview
In alignment with the Government of New Brunswick’s 2023 local governance reforms, the Kings RSC is responsible for supporting comprehensive community development within its service area. This regional approach facilitates the implementation of targeted and personalized programs across key sectors, including:
- Social Inclusion
- Affordable Housing
- Newcomer Settlement
- Diversity Promotion
- Healthy Communities
- Regional Transportation
The Kings RSC is committed to fostering healthy, vibrant, accountable, self-sufficient, and engaged communities. Our objective is to ensure all residents have equitable access to opportunities and resources that enable active participation in community life.
To achieve this, the RSC will continue to actively encourage and facilitate collaboration with diverse stakeholders to promote well-being, mitigate poverty, and address social inequalities.
We work closely with the Economic & Social Inclusion Corporation, Horizon Health Community Developers in the region, as well as the Regional Resiliency Coordinator and other support agencies to help with coordination of service delivery, understanding of regional trends and context, and the reduction of duplication in service delivery.
Addressing Homelessness and Precarious Housing
- ⬇️ Our Role in the Housing Continuum
- ⬇️ Working Within Our Mandate
- ⬇️ Identifying Gaps and Advocating for Solutions
- ⬇️ Helping to Build Regional Understanding
As a key component of our community development strategy, the Kings RSC has partnered with the Department of Social Development to engage two Outreach Workers dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and precarious housing. These professionals employ a client-centered approach, meeting individuals within their existing environments to provide tailored assistance. Client support services offered include:
- Facilitation of access to housing and subsidy programs.
- Provision of guidance on basic health care resources.
- Connection to mental health services.
- Assistance with income support applications and advocacy.
Following a thorough needs assessment, our Outreach Workers will leverage an established referral network to connect vulnerable individuals with appropriate support services.
Everyone deserves food security.
Kings RSC has partnered with Street Team, an organization that has been providing meals to individuals experiencing homelessness in Saint John for many years, to provide much-needed food security to vulnerable individuals in the Kings region.
Our Role in the Housing Continuum
Homelessness and precarious housing are complex issues influenced by many factors, including rising housing costs, limited rental availability, financial instability, health challenges, and unexpected life events. While the Kings RSC does not hold the same social-focus mandate as some other regions under local governance reform, our Outreach program plays an important role in the broader housing continuum.
Regional Service Commissions are uniquely positioned to maintain a wholistic view of community efforts to support unhoused residents within the broader ecosystem. With mandates including land use and planning, coordination of regional service delivery, and regional expertise, the Kings RSC continues to advocate for safe, sustainable, and dignified solutions to help those experiencing homelessness.
Drawing on the first-hand knowledge gained through direct client engagement, our Outreach Workers help individuals take realistic next steps in the housing continuum. They maintain contact as clients move through available support systems in the region, ensuring that no one feels left alone to navigate the process. This continuity allows the team to provide timely guidance, clarify program requirements, and support clients as they transition from crisis to greater stability. It also helps us understand where people experience barriers, so that future advocacy is grounded in real experiences from across the Kings region.
Our contribution is centred on early support, coordination, and informed advocacy. Outreach Workers help people navigate existing housing resources, connect with government programs, and access services that may stabilize their current situation. This includes supporting individuals as they apply for rent subsidies, search for available units, reconnect with family supports, or explore temporary options when immediate shelter is unavailable.
Working Within Our Mandate
Our Outreach program is funded by the Department of Social Development, and our work is guided by a clear agreement that outlines the type of support we are able to provide. While we cannot offer case management that interferes with existing provincial agencies, operate housing facilities, or make final decisions on housing placements, we can help individuals understand the steps required, prepare necessary documentation, and connect with the right provincial or community-based services.
We help coordinate services provided in the field to make the best use of extremely limited community resources.
This approach ensures that our efforts complement the work of Social Development, landlords, non-profits, and health partners while avoiding duplication. It also keeps the focus on prevention and early intervention, which is especially important in rural communities where formal resources are limited and the impacts of homelessness can be more hidden.
Identifying Gaps and Advocating for Solutions
Through day-to-day outreach, data collection, and ongoing conversations with community partners, the Kings RSC is developing a clearer picture of where service gaps exist across the housing and social-support landscape. These gaps can include shortages of temporary shelter beds, limited access to mental health services, transportation barriers, and a lack of appropriate transitional or supportive housing options.
Our Outreach team documents these pressures in real time. By combining field observations with the insights of local organizations, municipalities, and residents, we are able to identify patterns that may not otherwise be visible in rural communities.
While the Kings RSC does not deliver all services directly, we play an important role in elevating regional needs to the appropriate provincial departments, community organizations, and sector partners. This advocacy is grounded in data, lived experience, and a commitment to ensuring that residents receive timely and appropriate support.
Our goal is to strengthen the system as a whole. By highlighting gaps early and working collaboratively with the organizations responsible for delivering specialized services, we help create the conditions for sustainable solutions that reflect the realities of the Kings region.
Helping to Build Regional Understanding
A core function of the Outreach program is to strengthen the region’s understanding of current housing pressures. By gathering data, identifying emerging trends, and sharing real stories of community need, the Kings RSC is helping local and provincial partners make informed decisions. This work does not replace Social Development’s role, but it offers valuable regional insight that supports long-term planning for safe, stable, and appropriate housing options.
Through this balanced and collaborative approach, we are contributing to a more coordinated response to homelessness in the Kings region, while maintaining the responsibilities and limitations of our mandate and associated resources.
