Homeless shelter set to open at Halifax Forum until August
Facility will have 50 beds initially, and will add another 20 within weeks
The province and the Halifax Regional Municipality have announced that a homeless shelter will operate out of the Halifax Forum for much of the year.
In a joint release, they said the shelter will be located in the multi-purpose centre at the forum and will operate 24/7 from Jan. 22 until Aug. 31.
A temporary 50-bed shelter was set up over the weekend inside the forum to house people during an expected cold snap and snow storm, operating from Sunday afternoon until Monday afternoon.
"We recognize that there's still a number of people living rough, and in conversation with those living rough, with service providers and outreach workers, it was determined [we] have another shelter on the peninsula," said Community Services Minister Trevor Boudreau.
Officials say the facility will offer the same number of beds when it opens on Jan. 22 — 35 beds for men and 15 for women — but that number will rise to 70 beds within weeks.
The provincial government is providing $3 million in funding to cover operating costs, meals and other services through community organization 902 Man Up, which will include a harm-reduction program and specially trained staff.
The municipality is putting up the facility free of charge and installing a temporary shower trailer at the site, the release said.
The new shelter will be operated by 902 Man Up. Co-founder Marcus James said the community is about to get a look at some of the work the municipality and the province are doing to tackle homelessness.
"This is our way of giving back, supporting those in need, our most vulnerable community," he said.
James said during the time the shelter was open for the winter storm, staff were able to identify some of the people who may need more support.
He added while the shelter will be an important resource for the community, more needs to be done to help people living rough.
"This is not a solution to homelessness, it's a support," he said.
355 shelter beds in HRM
Outreach teams with Shelter Nova Scotia and municipal staff will inform people living in encampments about the facility, which the release said will bring the total number of shelter beds in the municipality to 355.
Boudreau said the new shelter is a part of the province's overall strategy to support the growing homeless population, which has been rising sharply in recent years.
He also mentioned the recently opened temporary supportive housing facility for women and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness at the Waverley Inn in Halifax.
"We're hoping that ... those who are living rough and living in tents will take that opportunity to move inside and move into a safer place," he said. "We continue to look for opportunities in Halifax and with the HRM and with other municipalities on opportunities for shelters where there's need."
Mayor Mike Savage called the new shelter a positive step toward helping people experiencing homelessness across the municipality.
"Our goal is not just to make people more comfortable outside, but to give them a place to live inside where they're safe and where their basic needs can be met," he said.
He added that while he doesn't expect homelessness to be solved by the end of August, other projects that are underway should help with supporting those who are living rough in the future, including the creation of pallet shelters in the HRM and tiny homes.
Savage said neither the Forum itself nor the civic area will be affected by the shelter. The space is usually used for community events, and Savage said the municipality will work with the community on how to accommodate any upcoming gatherings.
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With files from Tom Murphy and Paul Palmeter