Unhoused encampments still springing up in Halifax despite designated camping areas

Although the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has designated areas for homeless people to live in tents, there are still camps popping up throughout the municipality.

Behind the Woodlawn Public Library in Dartmouth, N.S., a parked van is where a couple currently calls home.

"It’s a bit difficult to find something and not a lot of people want to rent to me, so it kind of left us in this spot here," said Morgan Young, who lives in the van.

Since post-tropical storm Fiona hit, a new shelter and a homeless camp have popped up down the hill from where the van is parked.

One man who lives in the camp, but didn’t want to be identified, says he can’t live around a lot of people because he has PTSD.

Homeowners near the shelter say there was a homeless camp in the wooded area nearby for months. The local councillor received complaints and says street navigators went by before Fiona.

"They worked hard to make sure folks were moved to a safe location,” said Coun. Becky Kent. “And from what we can tell, there were no returnees after."

In recent days, Kent says complaints have been received about the new homeless camp and shelter. Kent says neighbours expressed concerns about noise and a possible fire made there.

“Evidence that they’re getting in and getting settled as opposed to maybe deciding and being open to new opportunities,” Kent said.

"There have been some site visits and a navigator is now attached to that particular area.”

While HRM has approved four areas for homeless camping, the site behind the Woodlawn library isn't one of them.

Eric Jonsson, a street navigator with the Navigator Street Outreach Program, says while some people want to live in the approved areas, others don’t.

"There’s probably an equal amount if not a larger number of people who are not comfortable or they don’t feel safe among other people," said Jonsson.

"Or they want to be alone, or they want to be in a really small community with only a couple of friends that they know and so, they’ll go and set up their tents wherever they want to.”

At Young's van in Dartmouth, he said he doesn’t want to cause any problems.

"If I’m causing trouble to people, I’d like someone to say something to me," he said. "I mean, I definitely, like I said, I’m not here to cause any harm. I just want to live and try to make it through what I can."