New overnight shelters are opening in the Halifax area, but advocates say it's not enough
A new overnight emergency shelter is set to open in Lower Sackville, N.S., early this month.
The shelter at the former St. Elizabeth Seton Church will provide 20 beds for all genders. It will operate as an evening and overnight shelter for people who are experiencing homelessness this winter.
“We had this notion that homelessness is something that only happened in the city, and it's not just in the city anymore,” said Jim Gunn, a board member with Beacon House. “We can see tents in all kinds of places in the Halifax metropolitan area and in the county as well.”
As of last month, the Affordable Housing Coalition has identified 694 in Halifax who are actively unhoused, an all-time high.
Given the statistics, there's a growing need for overnight shelters like the one that's proposed in Lower Sackville.
“We’re hiring staff right now as fast as we can,” said Gunn. “We can't announce an opening date yet but we hope to in the very short while."
Nova Scotia’s minister of community services recognizes the need in the community for more shelter beds this winter and says Beacon House made a great partner. The province provided the organization with $378,000 to set up the winter shelter.
“It was really something that we just said, 'Look, tell us what it is that you need, what are your intentions and what are your skill sets, and it just all seemed to morph together really well,'" said Minister Karla MacFarlane.
Beacon House Interfaith Society is a non-profit volunteer organization that provides food, clothing and services in Lower Sackville and surrounding communities. It has operated a warming centre in the Sackville area since February.
The former Travelodge in Dartmouth will soon open as The Overlook -- a harm reduction-focused housing project that will be a permanent home for 65 individuals who are chronically homeless.
Marie-France LeBlanc, the executive director of the North End Community Health Centre, calls it a first-of-its-kind for Atlantic Canada.
"This is harm reduction support work," said LeBlanc. "We will have nurses, physicians and we'll have housing support workers and harm reduction support workers. We'll have peer support workers and personal care workers."
The Overlook has received $6.5 million in funding through the Halifax Regional Municipality and the federal government's rapid housing initiative. The province provided $3.5 million to buy the hotel and will spend $1.5 annually to fund the services.
"Residents need some supports," said LeBlanc. "And this is the wraparound supports that we have needed and have been talking about for years."
LeBlanc says they are looking to welcome its first residents at The Overlook later this month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.