Posted:
Notification
This morning, the Halifax Regional Municipality moved forward with the closure process of the Lower Flinn Park de-designated location.
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the municipality announced that Lower Flinn Park had been de-designated as a location where people can shelter, as capacity for indoor shelters and supportive housing options are increasing. That day, 24 written notices to vacate were issued to people staying at this location, indicating that they had until Sunday, Dec. 7, to relocate to an indoor option, or, if necessary, to another of the municipality’s designated locations as a short-term solution. The Nov. 5 statement is available on our website.
Since that time, municipal Community Safety staff, including Housing & Homelessness Coordinators, along with outreach staff and navigators, have been working with all of the people living at Lower Flinn Park to connect them to available indoor shelter or temporary housing options and address any needs, including assisting them with transportation for them and their belongings to support their transition to indoor options.
As part of the municipality’s civilian-led approach, compliance staff have been in regular communication with people at Lower Flinn Park, reminding them to pack their belongings for transportation or storage and to vacate the site as they cannot remain in this de-designated location.
As of 9 a.m. there was one tent at this site and compliance staff confirmed that no one was sheltering in it. Staff are now in the process of cleaning up the area and installing fencing.
Due to the heavy use of the area as a designated location, it will need to be remediated. Now that it is vacant, it will be assessed and a plan will be developed for remediation.
Supporting people sleeping rough in designated locations
As of Friday, Dec. 5, municipal housing and homelessness staff determined that there were 23 tents and four trailers in the municipality’s two remaining designated locations. From the outset, the municipality has been clear that the creation of designated locations would be temporary. They were established in July 2022 to address an immediate need to ensure people had a location to go to if they had no other option but to sleep rough.
The municipality is constantly assessing the need for designated locations. As more indoor shelter spaces and supportive housing options become available, more municipal designated locations will be closed, de-designated and returned to their intended purposes as spaces for everyone.
The municipality remains committed to ensuring those sleeping rough are provided with better alternatives, working toward having safer, long-term housing options for everyone who needs them.
Indoor shelter and housing options
The Province of Nova Scotia has provided funding and other supports to a number of indoor shelters and housing options. More information on these options is available on the provincial webpage.
For more information about ongoing efforts by the municipality to help address homelessness in our region, visit: halifax.ca/addressinghomelessness.