A plan is in motion to close the last two remaining tent sites in HRM.
They are the Barrington Street green space and Green Road park in Dartmouth.
It’s part of a new strategy by the city on how to approach homelessness in HRM as more indoor options become available, according to a staff report.
Halifax Council voted unanimously Tuesday on the updated motion from 2023, brought forward by acting CAO Brad Anguish, to update how it addresses those sleeping rough over the next few years.
The city will also work with the province on how to manage cases with new policies and procedures to increase safety and security.
Huge spikes
Based on the 2024 Point in Time count, homelessness had increased by more than 400 per cent than 2018 and 92 per cent in 2022.
“At one point during this period, over 200 people were sleeping rough in municipal parks and event spaces, and no shelter or temporary housing beds were available,” says the report. “Unfortunately, the number of people experiencing homelessness is expected to grow in the coming years.”
Despite an increase, the number of people sleeping rough has dropped by half to about 100.
This, according to the report, is mainly from a provincial commitment to open more beds for shelters and temporary housing, bringing the total up to 81.
Since the initial framework to address homelessness was adopted by HRM in 2023, the situation has changed dramatically.
Reaching functional zero
Homelessness will never end in HRM or any other community, according to the report.
The goal is to reach functional zero; which means it is rare, brief and doesn’t happen again because the system in place can respond quickly.
This type of system relies heavily on data to monitor and inform the work happening.
Seasonal planning
Numbers of those in encampments decline in the winter months, but spikes in the spring, based on recent HRM data.
To deal with the seasonal fluctuations, HRM’s homelessness team will put together specific plans to address this to connect those who need it to indoor shelters and temporary housing options.
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