Advertisement

Halifax set to host national conference with goal of ending homelessness

Click to play video: 'National conference on reducing homelessness set to begin in Halifax'
National conference on reducing homelessness set to begin in Halifax
WATCH: A national conference is set to begin this week in Halifax, focusing on efforts to reduce homelessness across the country. But residents who have had to look for other housing options are skeptical about whether these talks will translate into tangible action. Ella MacDonald reports. – Nov 6, 2023

A national conference to end homelessness is coming to Halifax this week, but some Haligonians are skeptical as to whether the talks will spark real change.

The event will run Wednesday through Friday and is being hosted by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, a national movement of organizations working to end homelessness across the country.

According to the alliance’s director of communications, Andrew Burns, this conference has seen the largest interest yet.

“[It’s] about bringing the whole homelessness serving sector in Canada together,” Burns says. “We have about 1,850 people all up in Halifax this week, all coming together to share their lessons, and what’s worked and what hasn’t worked in their work.”

Burns says the conference will also include the voices of 140 people who have lived experience being unhoused.

Story continues below advertisement

This gathering will be coming a week after the city confirmed that the Shubie Campground in Dartmouth will be open through the winter for people to live out of their trailers.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

One Shubie campground resident, Carrie Steeves, is hoping for positive change when it comes to solving the housing crisis in Nova Scotia, but says she’s skeptical about how the conference will lead to action.

“If seeing a baseball field of tents isn’t changing anything, then how is that going to change anything?” Steeves says.

Carrie Steeves lives at Shubie Campground in Dartmouth. Ella MacDonald/Global News

Steeves has been living in her trailer with her cat, Ben, for six months, ever since rental prices went up and she was unable to afford an apartment on her single income.

Before Shubie, Steeves says she was living and working at Renfrew Campground in Nine Mile River.

Story continues below advertisement

“I’ll tell you, most of the people here are single people, they’re single people that live on their own, they’re not married, they’re by themselves,” Steeves says. “And there’s a reason why, because it is impossible to survive on a single income.”

Although Steeves lives out of her trailer, she’s not considered low income, meaning she doesn’t qualify for assistance.

“You don’t qualify for heat rebates, you don’t qualify for rent subsidy, you don’t qualify for anything. The system is broken,” she says.

Steeves says she thinks the problem with the housing crisis is the overall lack of long-term solutions.

“Do you raise minimum wage? Do you put laws in that you can only charge so much for certain dwellings? Do you change the subsidy?” Steeves says.

Burns says he hopes the conference will tackle some of these questions and that attendees will take steps towards positive change to improve access to housing in their communities.

“It’s not just a talk-fest, it’s about people actually making real change in their communities,” Burns says. “Both in terms of the way that they deliver services to people experiencing homelessness, but also in terms of some of the policy changes that need to occur to actually end homelessness.”

Sponsored content

AdChoices