The Moncton Lions Community Centre on St. George Street will become the city’s emergency homeless shelter for the winter.

The board of directors has agreed to transfer seniors programs to other venues in the city until the spring.

The shelter is expected to open during the week before Christmas and its location is near the Peter McKee Food Centre, the Humanity Project which provides meals to the homeless and the Harvest House shelter.

During a Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday afternoon, city councillor Paulette Theriault hoped the community will take a more humane approach to the homelessness issue.

“Someone had to die so that we could put a human face to this and that’s really unfortunate. We need to maybe tell the story of these people more. I don’t know how we do that,” Theriault pondered.

Mayor Dawn Arnold applauded the board for allowing its space to be utilized as a shelter during the winter but she emphasized that shelters are not long-term solutions.

“But unfortunately we are in this crisis situation which we were in last year at the same time. I find that very disheartening and very disappointing,” noted Arnold.

City staff said details are still being ironed out with the provincial government in terms of how much funding will be provided.

Last winter, the city used the former fire station on Assomption Boulevard as an emergency shelter but outreach workers have said the space is not large enough to accommodate everyone.