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.