Tents at Grand Parade Photo: Megan St. Rose
Halifax is closing five designated tent encampments.
Wednesday morning, the municipality announced that municipal staff began giving out notices and communicating with people living in tents at the Geary Street green space, Saunders Park, Victoria Park, Grand Parade and the Correctional Centre Park in Lower Sackville.
The HRM says better options exist.
People sheltering at those locations have until February 26th to vacate.
According to the municipal release, the province and service providers will be working with encampment residents to move indoors.
The HRM says safety at encampments is a significant concern including health risks caused by the cold weather and targets for predatory behavior.
“There has been violence arising from encampments, accumulations of human feces, biohazardous waste, weapons and drug paraphernalia surrounding encampments, significant food waste leading to issues with rodents, as well as uncontrolled fires and propane cylinder explosions.”
It says in the past year, Halifax Fire & Emergency has responded to more than 110 calls for service related to encampments, including several tent fires.
Today, the municipality is closing and de-designating five designated locations for encampments because better options now exist. We will be working with the province and their service providers to support residents in encampments move indoors.
— hfxgov (@hfxgov) February 7, 2024
Details: https://t.co/g7qs6ZVAkv pic.twitter.com/sYlvHIgYp3
Meanwhile, provincial NDP Leader Claudia Chender says her party is committed to people having access to safe, secure spaces with a door that closes.
When that exists, it is reasonable to ask people to move.
“Unfortunately, we have a government that has done very little to create truly affordable housing in this province.”
Chender says the number of people chronically homeless in the HRM has tripled since the Houston government has been in power and suspects that is the same elsewhere in Nova Scotia.
