Halifax regional council endorses homelessness strategy

Halifax regional council voted Tuesday to endorse recommendations laid out in a staff report to address homelessness in the municipality.

The list of approaches includes adding up to six new designated encampment sites, including Victoria Park and Grand Parade — areas where people have already been sheltering.

"By not designating it, we are withholding services they should get," Coun. Shawn Cleary said during the debate.

"They need to have the water, they need to have the porta-potty [portable toilet], they need to have garbage cleanup. We need to have all these things there."

Coun. Paul Russell attempted to amend the recommendation to exclude Victoria Park and Grand Parade. The municipality is currently having discussions on how to proceed with the Remembrance Day ceremony that's held annually at Grand Parade.

"Lots of people have been in touch with me and have said, 'We want to do things in Grand Parade. We want to do things in Victoria Park,'" Russell said.

"I'm not suggesting that because these sites would not be designated that we boot people out. What am I suggesting is that we are able to offer them a better place if there is another designated site over there that does have the additional services."

Bringing 'certainty' to people

Halifax CAO Cathie O'Toole said if those locations were removed, then there would need to be more designated spaces. She said there isn't enough space for everyone with the current number of designated encampment areas.

"We are somewhat concerned with wanting to do this in a way that doesn't wind up with another August 18, 2021-type experience," O'Toole said, referencing a large protest in downtown Halifax that involved police being called in to remove shelters.

"The advantage of making those two sites designated is if we can get it down to a manageable number from a health and a public safety perspective, then it may be manageable to entice people to move from that site to a different location."

O'Toole said there are plans to post signs in the designated sites that explicitly state the tent limit. For example, staff recommended limiting the number of tents at Grand Parade to eight or fewer; for Victoria Park, 12 or fewer. She also said there would be enforcement to monitor how many people are at the sites.

Coun. Sam Austin said none of the choices for encampment sites are "good choices," but they have to go somewhere.

"Designating a site brings certainty to the people who are living there in survival mode. It says to them that, 'Yes, you can stay here, you're not going to be hassled and told to leave,'" he said.

Last week, the province announced millions in new funding for a tiny home community in Lower Sackville opening next summer, 100 temporary pop-up shelters in Halifax, and a new overnight shelter also in the municipality.