Homeless shelter set to open at Halifax Forum until August

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 wraparound services through community organization 902 Man Up.

The municipality is putting up the facility free of charge and installing a temporary shower trailer at the site, the release 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.”