Residents in Halifax who have been living in tent cities will not be brought out of the cold for the holidays.
The latest update from the municipality says the nine modular units being brought in to help 44 unhoused people in the city will not be completed until January.
The Halifax site has yet to be announced.
However, the four emergency housing units on Alderney Drive are still on track to be completed by December 20th. Those shelters will be able to house 24 people.
Workers are making way for the modular units at the Dartmouth site. (CREDIT: HRM)
The modular units have laundry, kitchens, beds, and bathrooms.
The province is responsible for deciding who moves into the homes and connecting them with additional support services.
They will be offered on-site through the Out of the Cold Community Association.
Those services include mental health and addictions support, life stability and community connections, and employment assistance.
The city reports there are currently at least 9 homeless encampments located within the municipality.
Temporary homeless shelter. (CREDIT: Halifax Mutual Aid via Twitter)
As of November 28th, there were 22 people, 49 tents, and six shelters.
The city promised housing after the removal of homeless encampments in August erupted into violent protests.
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth steps in to help
The Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth is building up to 20 emergency shelters on parish property to house people currently sleeping in tents.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges many people were already facing in finding safe, affordable housing,” the archdiocese says in a statement on its website. “We are all aware of someone who is without adequate housing. This is a human dignity issue stemming from broad systemic injustice.”
The municipality just gave the green light to the archdiocese to build the shelters on their properties.
They’ve identified eight potential sites, which can accommodate one to five shelters.
Emergency homeless shelter. (CREDIT: The Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth)
Each unit will be able to house one resident from December until the end of May 2022.
They’re working with the government and several organizations to help find people who are in need of shelter.
“These shelters have been professionally designed in accordance with safety and municipal standards,” the statement says. “Each temporary shelter will cost $11, 500. This cost does not include the design, building, and delivery of the shelters, all of which are being donated.”
The estimated total cost of the project, which will need to be raised, is $230,000.
