Officials in Sydney, N.S., hope pallet shelters are the first step to help the most vulnerable

According to Alyce MacLean, the housing coordinator at New Dawn Enterprises in Sydney, N.S., the number of people homeless in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is almost at 400.

It’s a problem the public might not see first-hand, but one that exists every day and night.

“On any given night there are anywhere from 30 to 50 individuals who are sleeping outdoors in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality,” said MacLean.

MacLean says the difference between Sydney and Halifax, for example, is encampments where many homeless are not alone.

She says in the CBRM people are much more vulnerable.

“We've had a death in this community just a few months ago by a young woman who was sleeping by herself in a tent, and so we don't want any more deaths in this community,” added MacLean.

To help the homeless, new housing is on the way.

Pallet shelters will be setup across the province, with the first at Beacon House in Lower Sackville.

A location on Henry Street in Whitney Pier will house 30 Pallet shelters and should be ready by the end of January into February.

“We are looking at everything and all opportunities. This timeline has taken longer than I would've liked, but I think Pallet's comments yesterday is that the province is moving about this in the right way,” said Community Services Minister Trevor Boudreau.

The site in Sydney, N.S., will be staffed 24/7, with shared laundry facilities and washrooms.

The temporary housing will be available year-round to those most in need.

“There's a case management system called HIFIS that collects data on individuals and ranks them based on need, so those who are in the highest need would access the housing first,” said MacLean.

In total the province has purchased 200 units from Pallet, which Boudreau says will be operational this year.

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