People remain at Charlottetown encampment after opening of emergency shelter

Beds at Charlottetown's Park Street Emergency Shelter have been open for almost a week, but dozens of people living in a tent encampment in Charlottetown are still not interested in staying there overnight.

The province says another 25 beds are slated to open on Friday, but with the beds only open overnight, housing advocates say the emergency shelter doesn't go far enough to help people in the city who are experiencing homelessness.

"Where are they going to go during the daytime?" asked Cory Pater, a volunteer with the P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing. 

Pater said he's heard from several people living in the encampment that they don't plan on moving to the shelters anytime soon. 

Previous bad experiences at shelters are some of the reasons why so many people are leery of heading to the emergency shelter, he said. 

"We've known that it's inadequate and that folks aren't going to want to abandon the encampment to just go to the shelter," he said. 

'Leave the encampment alone': Cory Pater

Pater said residents living in the encampment have been notified that the encampment will soon be cleared out, which he said sends a clear message to the people living there. 

"It shows that they're willing to throw some of the most vulnerable members of our community out into the cold. You're telling them you can't even stick together in this, during the coldest months of the year." 

With the shelters only being open overnight, Pater said leaving the encampment means people will be left to fend for themselves during the daytime, which can be dangerous in the colder months. 

"Leave the encampment alone, leave them be, let these people who have gone through enough have what little they've made for themselves," he said. 

New shelters 'pretty remarkable': Chris Clay

Chris Clay, Reaching Home project co-ordinator for the Native Council of P.E.I., encourages people in the encampment to give the new shelters a chance. 

Clay said he was skeptical about the shelters at first, but after visiting them first-hand, he now thinks they're a good idea. 

"These new shelters that the province have brought in are pretty remarkable. I've been through them now, I've heard from clients who've stayed in them and I'm really hoping that the people that are in the tents take advantage of what's being offered to them," he said. 

Although people may be hesitant about making the move to the shelters, especially after having built semi-permanent structures at the encampment, Clay said moving to the shelters is especially important during the cold weather. 

"I'm always worried about the people sleeping outside," he said, adding the harsh climate on the Island is a huge concern. 

Clay said he'd like to see more permanent housing and more affordable housing in the long term, but 50 beds is a "real good step" for right now. 

Pater said having the shelters open all day, having more beds, and increased privacy at the shelter would be a start. But ultimately, it comes down to listening to the concerns of the people experiencing homelessness. 

"We need to listen to what their needs are, we can't just build solutions around them without considering what they're saying."