People living in 5 Halifax tent encampments ordered to leave in coming weeks
CBC
People living in five tent encampment sites in Halifax are being ordered to leave in the coming weeks, with the municipality warning they could be fined or even arrested if they don't comply.
The municipality is closing five of 11 designated sites, saying better options are now available for the people living in those tents. Residents must be out by Feb. 26.
Notices were posted Wednesday morning at the Geary Street green space in Dartmouth, at Saunders Park, Victoria Park and Grand Parade in Halifax, and at the ballfield on Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville.
The notice said failure to vacate the properties "is an offence under the Protection of Property Act for which any person can be arrested by a peace officer and removed from the property."
Nicholas Robert Coulombe, who is living at the encampment in Grand Parade, said he's not sure what he will do now.
"I don't know," Coulombe said outside his tent on Wednesday morning, adding that although his future is uncertain, he didn't plan to stay at Grand Parade forever.
In summer 2022 and fall 2023, the municipality designated a number of sites for tent encampments. Six designated sites are still open.
"We should never accept it as normal that people spend winter in tents in our community," Mayor Mike Savage said at a news conference Wednesday.
"Designated sites have always been intended to be a stopgap measure until better fixed-roof options were available for people who are homeless, and we now have a variety of options in place."
Max Chauvin, the director of housing and homelessness for the municipality, said the province recently confirmed there are enough indoor spaces to accommodate the estimated 100 people who are currently living in encampments and on the streets.
He said 30 beds have been reserved for residents at the new shelter at the Halifax Forum, and that alternative options for people who aren't comfortable in shelters, like hotel rooms and modular housing, will also be available.
Street navigators will work with encampment residents to help situate them indoors, said Chauvin, and there will be a three-week grace period for residents to consider their options before they are forced to move.
Cathie O'Toole, Halifax's chief administrative officer, said the city is hoping all individuals leave the encampments voluntarily by Feb. 26, but that officials do have the legal authority to remove them.
She said the city is planning to take a hands-off approach and not involve police unless it's necessary for public safety reasons.
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