A local councillor does not want to see temporary homeless shelters popping up at public parks.
Dartmouth Centre Councillor Sam Austin released a statement on Tuesday after an assault at Starr Park.
Austin says it happened on Monday morning after a neighbour knocked on the door of a temporary shelter, which was dropped off at the park on Saturday without the city’s permission.
“A neighbour knocked on the door of the Starr Park shelter and the exchange ended very badly,” Austin says in the statement posted to Twitter. “The neighbour, a senior, was attacked by a shelter occupant and had to be taken to hospital with significant injuries, including broken bones.”
In a release on Monday, Halifax Regional Police said a 65-year-old man who lives in the area confronted a 31-year-old man about a structure that had been illegally built in the park over the weekend.
Police reported the older man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Statement on the assault at Mutual Aid’s Starr Park shelter. MA’s reckless approach has resulted in serious injuries and criminal charges. Allowing an anonymous group to install shelters that don’t meet code with no supporting services must end https://t.co/MD14eGqPGj
— Sam Austin (@SamAustinD5) April 26, 2022
Austin says these structures are dangerous as they offer no heat, power, running water, or additional community support.
He believes community groups should work with the city to create safe spaces.
“The alternative path is demonstrated by the Catholic Church,” Austin says. “Over the last several months, HRM and the Catholic Church have worked together to approve safe crisis shelters for installation on church property. The church shelters meet the building code, have heat and electricity, and have access to water/toilets on-site or through nearby church buildings. Occupants are supported by church congregations or service providers and results have been quite successful, with almost no complaints or issues from any of the church sites.”
Meantime, the volunteer group who installed the shelter at Starr Park is pushing back against the concerns.
Halifax Mutual Aid has taken to Twitter to say they were saddened to hear the news and that rising tensions point to the continued need for safe housing.
“As we have always said, Halifax Mutual Aid will continue to build crisis shelters as long as people need them,” the group says in a Tweet.
The group says volunteers and shelter occupants were threatened while trying to set the shelter up.
Halifax Mutual Aid volunteers were saddened to hear about the incident at Starr Park. We believe we know the individual who is in hospital. During the assembly of the crisis shelter at Starr Park & every day since, this individual has threatened volunteers & shelter occupants.— MutualAidHFX (@MutualAidHfx) April 26, 2022
“We will also continue the policy of occupant’s choosing the location of their crisis shelter, as was the case for Starr Park,” the group says.
Halifax Mutual Aid believes the solution is “safe, dignified housing.”
