A first-of-its-kind tiny home community is coming to Nova Scotia.
The province and the Halifax Regional Municipality are teaming up on a pilot project that will see more than 50 small houses built in Lower Sackville to help people experiencing homelessness.
Concerns, however, are emerging for those who are already tenting on the land. There are currently 40 residents who call the Sackville Ballfield home.
Volunteers say it’s a close-knit and supportive community with people ranging in age from 18 to 74 years old.
It’s also home to several animals, including a friendly dog named Cheeseburger who greets guests when they arrive.
“This is their homestead,” community volunteer Samantha Banks says. “When you put somebody in a shelter, oftentimes it’s only for the night and you have to leave during the day. Some of these shelters can be quite dangerous — they can have their items stolen over the time. These individuals have gotten to know each other, trust each other, lean on each other for help.”
Banks says when she first learned about the new tiny house community she was excited but was quickly left wondering what would happen to the current community.
“I took a second look at the picture and saw that it’s going to be built in this field. Instantly my heart stopped,” Banks says. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, how is this going to work?'”
Fellow volunteer Michelle Calder feels the same way.
“They’re just saying ‘Well, we’re putting something in, but you might not get it,'” Calder says. “There’s no guarantee the people living here are actually going to have access to those tiny homes.”
She says members are worried about losing the supports available at the site if they need to relocate. Currently, there are porta potties and power on site along with water delivery and garbage pickup.
The volunteers wish they — and the residents — had been consulted before the announcement of the project, which will see 52 units built with rent geared to income and a capacity to house around 62 people.
‘They’ve got to do right by the people’: Ballfield resident worries about future
Jacob Hicks has called the Sackville Ballfield home for about a month now.
“People here seem pretty mixed about it in general, I suppose would be the best way to put it,” he says of the mood in the community.
Hicks says he arrived at the encampment after a few missteps — but it was also fuelled by a lack of mental health support paired with the city’s housing crisis.
“We’re real people down here. A lot of us have jobs. We struggle living here, just being in this situation,” he explains. “Depression just comes with it, really. But the people down here are some of the nicest, most caring people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Hicks is nervous about what the future could hold.
“The government says it’s going to do a lot of things. I’ll see it when I see it — if it happens,” Hicks says. “They’ve got to do right by the people who are already down here and not displace us.”
He’s hoping to get back on his feet soon so he can lend an even bigger helping hand to the site.
Meantime, Nova Scotia’s Community Services Minister Trevor Boudreau says outreach workers have been engaging with the community.
“We want to make sure that nobody is forced to leave where they live and where they feel comfortable,” Boudreau says. “We’ll work with them to find supportive housing.”
City spokesperson Brynn Budden confirms in a statement that staff spoke with residents on Wednesday to inform them of the provincial announcement.
“The municipality will continue to work with partners to find housing solutions for those sheltering at this location and others across the region,” the statement says. “In the coming weeks, discussions and planning will take place between the municipality, province, and partners involved in this project, and most importantly – current residents of the encampment. As more details and a timeline are confirmed, they will be provided to those sheltering at the Correctional Ballfield.”
Volunteers like Banks and Calder want officials to keep stepping up.
“Nov. 18 our administrative team is hosting a sleepover for our team as well as any politicians who would like to join us and experience what it’s like here at the field,” Calder says.
“We think a lot of our politicians might not have the intimate knowledge of what it’s like. We invite them to come and experience and show their community just how much they really do care about the issues they’re facing.”
It’s estimated 30 units will be completed by the spring, and people will be in them next summer.
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