Housing insecurity a growing problem in the Maritimes, and one that must be faced

HALIFAX -

The removal of homeless encampments across Halifax on Wednesday sparked major protests in the city, but it also sparked conversations about the bigger issue of homelessness.

At a food bank in Dartmouth, volunteers are doing what they can to help support people in the community.

"It's a challenging issue," explains Pastor Calvin Willis, who runs Fathers Love Sanctuary & Food Bank. "Talking to them today, one guy is a pensioner, he says imagine being a pensioner and I got to be a panhandler to survive."

Advocates say housing insecurity is a problem that's growing rapidly in our region, and for a number of reasons.

"We lack the political will to resource the solutions for being homeless," explains Ardath Whynacht of Halifax Mutual Aid. "We know that we have a housing crisis right now. We know that affordable housing is not something that we have in Nova Scotia. We do not have rent control. We know that social assistance rates are really low."

Housing rights advocate and consultant, Lisa Ryan, says there are other factors to consider.

"Cuts that have happened over the years to mental health services," Ryan said. "That has been detrimental to the increase of individuals who are now without the supports that they once had to deal with significant mental health issues."

Ryan says communities across the region are faced with similar challenges.

"When you're on social assistance in New Brunswick, you get $537 a month," she explains. "There are no units available within New Brunswick, anywhere, that is affordable to somebody who is receiving $537 a month."

The executive director of the Truro Homeless Outreach Society says this year's report revealed there's more than 53 individuals experiencing homelessness in Colchester County alone – but the society only has 13 emergency and transitional beds.

"When you have shelters in the city, and elsewhere in the province running at capacity, then migration within the province happens," explains executive director Krista McNair. "So we have folks coming to our shelter because it's full in Halifax, and known as the hub, stopping in Truro. So in the past year, I did stats for the past year, we had to turn away over 100 individuals."

Advocates say if Maritimers would like to help raise awareness for housing insecurity in the region, they're encouraged to contact all three levels of government in their community.