Temporary shelters in Sydney will bring 30 people in from the cold
Self-contained sleeping units will be managed by New Dawn and Ally Centre
New temporary shelters coming to Sydney, N.S., will help 30 people experiencing homelessness, but there are still more people in need of housing, says the executive director of a local organization that will help manage the units.
"I mean this is just going to be a drop in the bucket, right? I know the homeless shelter itself is full to capacity at all times," said Christine Porter of the Ally Centre.
The Ally Centre and New Dawn Enterprise will co-manage the self-contained units which each contain a bed, heater, lighting, desk and shelving. Separate temporary buildings for toilets, showers, laundry and administration will be staffed 24 hours a day.
Two people who work through the Ally Centre will be on site and will help people who require treatment for addiction, harm reduction services or mental health care.
Porter said although the 30 units coming to Sydney does not address the full need, it will get some people off the streets and into a more stable living environment.
"From our client list, there are 58 who are unhoused, right? So totally unhoused, not in the shelters or anything like that," she said. "I know the homeless shelter itself is full to capacity at all times and when we have overnight stays here, there's always, you know, 10, 12, 13 people that stay here."
On Wednesday, the province announced the locations and number of Pallet shelters that will be coming to select areas. They are some of the 200 purchased by province last fall at a cost of $7.5 million.
Sydney will receive 30 units, 20 will go to Kentville, 19 to Lower Sackville and an undetermined number will be located at the Halifax Forum.
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality will provide running water and electricity to the site which will also be fenced in for security reasons. The location selected near Whitney Pier is close to stores, public transit and other services.
"It was tricky to find a location that is like a certain distance from grocery store, a certain distance from a bus stop, a place where you know you're not having to incur an exorbitant cost in installing water and sewer, things like that," said Alyce MacLean, project manager through New Dawn.
The shelters will be delivered and installed within the next several weeks, according to MacLean. "We'll get people housed as soon as humanly possible. I regret deeply that we couldn't have housed people before the winter set in, but you know, we're just doing our best," MacLean said.