Unsanitary conditions, rooms without locks among 'failures' at shelter sites, says official

Unhygienic conditions, bedrooms without locks and assaults against residents were among the problems plaguing two supportive housing sites in Halifax before the province cut ties with the non-profit managing the locations, a government official alleged Monday.

Suzanne Ley, executive director of employment support and income assistance with the Department of Opportunities and Social Development, said she knew conditions were subpar at the sites, but the full extent of the problems was not known until Out of the Cold was dismissed and she took a closer look at the situation.

"I would say there are some pretty significant failures in things like safety and infrastructure," she said.

Ley said she received reports of non-residents entering the sites at night and assaulting the occupants. The facilities lacked in some basic supplies, such as drinking cups. Ley also said staff were not helping residents access health care, and in some cases even "gatekeeping" or "being a barrier" to health care.

"The level of support really doesn't reflect what is needed in a high-acuity setting like this," Ley said.

In an interview last week, Out of the Cold said it was blindsided by the split and thought it had been addressing concerns previously raised by the province. The group's board and leadership declined to comment any further following Ley's new accusations.

Ley's department abruptly ended its contract with Out of the Cold last week after partnering with the group for the past three years. The group ran two supportive housing sites — one in Halifax and one in Dartmouth — with capacity for more than 60 people.

Ley said many of the residents were chronically homeless prior to being admitted, and many are dealing with drug and alcohol addiction and/or mental illness.

The province has opened several supportive housing sites in recent years, with the type of support varying by location and by resident. Ley said the two sites Out of the Cold was running are intended to provide among the most intensive level of support available.

In August of 2023, the department told Out of the Cold in a letter that it was concerned about "criminal activity," including allegations of drug and human trafficking, inadequate support for residents, inadequate training for staff and delays in accountability reporting.

The province threatened termination, unless a number of conditions were met.

Ley said after that, the department worked with the non-profit and hired a consultant to help the group. She said Out of the Cold was showing efforts at improvement. 

"We felt really optimistic in 2024," she said.

But, she recalls, not every concern was addressed, and some issues that were addressed gradually came back.