HRM closing five homeless encampments, including Grand Parade, Victoria Park

Halifax Regional Municipality is closing five of the 11 designated locations for homeless encampments, including Grand Parade in the heart of the downtown and Victoria Park.

Also set to close are the Geary Street green space in Dartmouth, Saunders Park in west-end Halifax and the Correctional Centre Park in Lower Sackville, according to a statement Wednesday.

“The Province of Nova Scotia and service providers have identified indoor sheltering and supportive housing options, and we will all be working together to support residents in encampments to move indoors,” the statement says.

Municipal outreach staff are giving notices and communicating with people sleeping rough in the designated encampments. HRM says these locations will be closing effective Wednesday and have been “dedesignated.” People sheltering in these locations are being told to vacate by Feb. 26. 

Supports, including information about available resources and transportation of people and belongings, will be available.

“The municipality remains committed to ensuring those sleeping rough are provided better alternatives, working toward having safer, long-term housing options for everyone who needs them,” reads the municipality’s statement.

“Indoor facilities are a better option than sleeping rough. They offer much needed supports and provide a warm space, electricity, running water, showers, laundry services, regular meals and a place to store belongings. 

“From a public health and safety perspective, access to safe drinking water, sanitary services and environments free of rodents, physical, biological and fire hazards is important.”

The municipality stressed in the statement that the creation of designated locations was always a temporary solution, established to address an immediate need to ensure people had a location to go to if they had no other option but to sleep rough.

“The municipality is constantly assessing the need for designated locations,” says the notice.

“As more indoor shelter spaces and supportive housing options become available, more parks will be closed, dedesignated and returned to their intended purposes as spaces for everyone.”

Additionally, Beaufort Avenue Park in Halifax and Martins Park in Dartmouth, have not been used for outdoor sheltering since they were designated in the fall. These parks remain open to the public.

HRM also cited the safety of those in and around encampments as a significant concern.

“Those in encampments can be targets for predatory behaviour that victimizes some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Issues range from gang victimization and human trafficking to physical and sexual assault, as well as sexual exploitation.”

There has been violence arising from encampments, accumulation of human waste, biohazard waste, weapons and drug paraphernalia, food waste leading to issues with rodents, as well as uncontrolled fires and propane cylinder explosions, says HRM.

In the past year, Halifax Fire & Emergency has responded to more than 110 calls for service related to encampments, including several tent fires.

HRM says it is committed to supporting the province in developing long-term housing solutions.

“The municipality will continue to treat people experiencing homelessness with dignity while working to find ways to best support them within its capacity and scope,” the statement says.

“This includes enhanced efforts on the ground, collaborating with street navigators, the province and its service providers to actively work with and offer supports to anyone experiencing homelessness in the Halifax region.

“The municipality will also continue working with other orders of government, as well as through partnerships with community housing not-for-profits, on initiatives to support the creation of affordable and deeply affordable housing, such as the Affordable Housing Grant Program, the Rapid Housing Initiative and the Housing Accelerator Fund.”