Four couples living in tent encampment given housing, but advocates say the fight isn't over yet

Four couples living in a tent encampment across the street from Confederation Building in St. John's have moved into permanent housing units, but advocates say it's still a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed.

Shawn Nosworthy, who organized the ongoing homelessness protest outside the provincial legislature, says he received the keys to an apartment for him and his partner from the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) Friday afternoon. 

He says he's been living in a tent since April, so having a roof over his head instead of a tarp has been a long time coming.

Nosworthy says a lot of work needs to be done to make his house a home, including being reunited with his son who is currently in Ontario.

He also says the fight continues for the hundreds of others who are living near Confederation Building and elsewhere across the province.

"I always fight for the little guy, and I won't stop," said Nosworthy. "So when I learned that we're all going to be housed just in a timely manner, it made me really, really happy."

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the NLHC said over the last week, officials have joined community partners such as End Homelessness St. John's on multiple occasions to visit the individuals living in the encampment. 

The statement says some individuals have secured housing, or accepted placement in shelters to receive the "necessary supports" to secure more permanent housing. 

"All individuals in this group currently experiencing homelessness have been offered staffed shelter placements, where they would have access to supports and services, including case management and housing search services," read the statement.

"The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, along with other government departments and community partners are continuing efforts to secure more permanent housing options for others at the site," the statement continued.

Nosworthy says that before government provided any individuals in the encampment with the prospect of permanent housing, he told officials with the NLHC that he would accept something "transitional," as long as a permanent solution was on the horizon.

He says being trapped in the shelter system was never an option for him.

Nosworthy says the encampment, which initially formed during the first week of October, grows daily, with over a dozen people still living in tents.

Doug Pawson, the executive director of End Homelessness St. John's, says that finding housing for every individual living in tents, either in the encampment or elsewhere across the city, has always been the goal.