Halifax homeless encampments remain overcrowded, even with additional designated sites

Homeless encampments in the Halifax area are dealing with overcrowding as the number of people living on the streets has surged to approximately 600.

“There’s a lot of people that need housing. That’s what drives the encampment pieces. Most of the shelter spaces are full, so what you’re seeing are people who are in real need of affordable, supported options that meet their needs,” said Max Chauvin, Halifax Regional Municipality’s Housing and Homelessness director.

P.J. McKay, who has been residing in a camper at Green Road Park for over a year, has witnessed the dramatic increase in the encampment’s population. Initially one of the first to settle there, McKay notes the number of people has more than doubled in recent months.

“There are so many different tents popping up, and people are setting up on top of each other,” McKay said. “It gets irritating after a while.”

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She said having more people means there are more conflicts and thefts.

“There’s some that think that things should go a specific way and there is fear of how severe the arguments can get, [but] we haven’t had to call the ambulance yet,” she said.

Another resident told CTV News they have heard of other encampments around the city where there are issues with sexual exploitation or drug activity, and living around a larger group of people provides a sense of safety and security.

“A lot of research highlights that community forms in encampments and they become a safe space for folks,” said Jeff Karabanow, social work professor at Dalhousie University. “There has been talk as well of folks who take advantage of this vulnerable population.”

Green Road Park, one of Halifax’s first designated encampment areas, originally had a limited capacity for around 15 people. However, it now hosts approximately 50 people. McKay highlighted growing tensions and disputes among the encampment's occupants due to overcrowding and differing opinions on how to manage the space.

On Monday, the city announced two new designated encampments: Geary Street green space and Cogswell Park. However, the two new spaces will not help with the overgrowing.

The homeless encampment site at Green Road Park in Dartmouth, N.S., is seen with tents scattered throughout. (CTV Atlantic/Hafsa Arif)

“[Northbrook Park] is a fairly thin and narrow park so we wanted to be able to return that park to the community and also ensure those people who had nowhere else to go have a place too. So the folks that are in Northbrook will move down to Geary,” said Chauvin. “The other park that was designated as Cogswell Park, that space actually already had about 10 tents in it so there’s no more space in that one.”

Karabanow said having more designated encampments around the city does not mean people leave where they have already set up their tents.

“They’re going to stay where they feel safest, where there’s community, and where supports have already been embedded,” he said. “There’s been a lot of resources put around the whole encampment support model with really good intentions, but it’s just a Band-Aid solution.”

Chauvin said the city is having conversation about more designated encampments sites, however, that would take time.

“We are talking to our colleagues with the province to find solutions. I’m hoping other housing options become available before that happens.”

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