Halifax homelessness conference discusses challenges, solutions

The 10th National Conference on Ending Homelessness (CAEH23) is underway in Halifax to address the housing crisis.

The three-day conference is the largest gathering of its kind in Canada, with more than 1,700 delegates, including the federal minister of housing, Sean Fraser, who announced $65 million in funding for a program called the Round Five of the Housing Supply Challenge, which will allow organizations and businesses to submit an application which will provide strategies that will increase the supply of housing.

“The kinds of activities that they’re looking at go right from the ideation phase for housing development until a new building is open,” said Fraser.

An additional $18.1 million was also announced towards a research initiative – a part of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, which will focus on addressing barriers that communities face in reducing and preventing chronic homelessness. For this research, eight projects have been co-developed with communities across the country, including Fredericton.

“They’re launching research projects where they get to try out an idea that’s informed by expertise where they also get to then share the lessons from those research projects with the housing sector across Canada,” explained Fraser.

While organizations welcomed the commitments to housing, it drew criticism from some.

“It’s critical for government to get beyond the flashy announcements,” said Margaret Pfoh, CEO of Aboriginal Housing Management Association of British Columbia. “[They] need to start rolling those dollars out so that we get the tangible outcome and the investment in the kind of housing and homelessness services we need in our communities.

As delegates representing community groups and organizations across Canada confront these issues, just two blocks away is one of Halifax’s encampments.

David Pincock is one of the people living in the encampment at Grand Parade.

He has been living there for six months, after losing his job due to an injury.

Pincock said low-income housing needs to be built.

“The places that are available are $1,000 or $1,500 and all the low-rent buildings have been torn down and are now high-end apartments and they’re kind of pushing all the people from the low rent areas,” he said.

He said others living there work two jobs but still can’t afford anything in the area.

As it gets colder, Pincock said he has no choice but to find ways to stay warm without a roof.

“I’ll have to put blankets over it, tarp it, [and] try to keep it warm. I don’t know how but I don’t have a choice.”  

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