Deadline to vacate some Halifax homeless encampments arrives
CTV
Five homeless encampments in Halifax must be vacated today after the municipality removed the special designations that allowed people to set up tents in those locations.
Five homeless encampments in Halifax must be vacated today after the municipality removed the special designations that allowed people to set up tents in those locations.
The city had asked earlier this month that unhoused people staying in tents at five of 11 authorized encampments leave by Feb. 26.
It said the encampments, including one at the downtown Grand Parade, pose a safety risk and that better options are available.
The city said on Friday that 25 of the approximately 55 people staying at the five encampments have accepted indoor shelter.
The municipality said service providers were discussing "appropriate indoor sheltering" with those who remained, but some unhoused people have previously said they won't leave by the city-imposed deadline.
In October, the Halifax Regional Municipality designated 11 sites around the city as tenting areas for people without housing as a stop-gap measure until better indoor options became available.
City officials have said these options include hotel rooms, transitional housing and more emergency shelter beds.
