Halifax-Yarmouth archdiocese calls on churches to help homeless

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth is asking its churches to consider creating space on their grounds for emergency shelters to house people experiencing homelessness.

In a call to action on its website, the archdiocese said the effort could provide "a measure of protection from eviction on public land."

The development follows the controversial move by Halifax Regional Police to remove a number of wooden shelters and tents from city land in August.

"We just hope that private property makes a little bit of a difference than putting up something on a public park. Maybe giving a little more — or hopefully a little more — security that it wouldn't suddenly just be taken down," said John Stevens, the archdiocese's manager of pastoral life and new evangelization.

Stevens said Archbishop Brian Dunn has made tackling homelessness a priority and the archdiocese has established a support team to focus on the issue.

"We've reached out to every parish in the diocese," Stevens said, explaining there are 20 parishes with approximately 65 churches.

"There is a lot of property that is potentially available for something like this. In the core, maybe we're looking at a dozen places that could maybe do something."

Three or four places have teams ready to get behind the project, Stevens said, with the goal of having some wooden shelters in place on church properties before the winter.

Saint Ignatius Parish in Bedford could be one of those. The church supported one person who lived in a shelter there from February to August of this year.

"It went very well. We were quite surprised with the amount of support we got from parishioners in the church," said Ray Burke, secretary of the pastoral council at Saint Ignatius. "They donated funds, they donated sleeping bags, food, clothing and were very generous."

Burke said the move needed approval from the parish council and was supported unanimously — something he hopes will happen again.  

"I would like to think that we have a duty civically and spiritually to reach out to those that have less than we do," Burke said, adding the person who lived in the shelter at Saint Ignatius appreciated the help.

"He said it gave him a sense of dignity and really helped him improve his life both physically and mentally. He actually went on to secure a job, and he said without the shelter that would never have happened."

The archdiocese will meet with other churches that want to be part of its initiative next week. From there, it plans to work with community groups to find people most in need of shelter as well as the wooden structures.

Eric Jonsson, a street navigator working with people experiencing homelessness in Halifax, said he's keen to see more permanent housing solutions but is giving credit to the church for stepping up, given colder weather is on the way.

He believes about 80 people are living outside in HRM at the moment. Those who were moved from public parks and outside the former library simply found spaces to camp elsewhere, he said.

"I think it's great to give people some kind of security if they have a spot for any length of time. Some people will take it, some people will not," he said.

"It's not going to solve homelessness, it's going to help a few people out for a few months and that's great. It's good that they're showing compassion and empathy."

The archdiocese expects to move quickly on its plans and hopes churches will begin putting up the wooden shelters around the end of this month or in early November.