A new emergency shelter is opening later this month at the Halifax Forum, the latest in a number of new shelters popping up as the region struggles with rising homelessness.
In a joint release Monday, the Nova Scotia government and Halifax Regional Municipality said the new shelter at 6210 Young Street — the multi-purpose centre at the Halifax Forum — will open Monday, Jan. 22. It will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until Aug. 31.
The shelter will start with 50 beds: 35 for men and 15 for women. It can add capacity based on community need and extreme weather events, the release said.
“Capacity will increase to 70 over the coming weeks, with the shelter offering privacy, showers and storage for people staying there,” it said.
The province is paying $3 million for operational and staff costs, as well as meals and wraparound services from 902 Man Up. Halifax is providing the facility free of charge and will install a temporary shower trailer for people staying at the shelter to use.
During a news conference Monday, Halifax Mayor Mike Savage acknowledged the shelter is a temporary solution.
“We’re not going to have zero homelessness in year by August, but there’s a number of projects that are underway,” he told reporters.
Those projects include 200 Pallet shelters, 100 of which will be in Halifax — though when they will be up and running is still unclear.
With the new beds at the Forum, there are now a total of 355 shelter beds across the municipality and 493 shelter beds across the province.
A number of new shelters have opened across the municipality in recent months as the number of unhoused people continues to rise. According to the latest numbers from the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, there were 1,094 actively homeless people in Halifax as of Jan. 2.
Here are some of the other shelters and housing options that have opened within the last year.
- Former St. Paul Church, 197-199 Windmill Rd., Dartmouth: Opened in mid-November 2023. This shelter with 50 beds and the capacity to add more. It will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until May 2026.
- Former Waverley Inn, 1266 Barrington St., Halifax: Opened in December 2023. Provides long-term supportive housing options for 32 women and gender-diverse people.
- The Bridge, former Doubletree by Hilton, 101 Wyse Rd., Dartmouth: Opened in spring 2023. The largest shelter of its kind in HRM with a total of 190 rooms available. Includes housing for people who are discharged from hospitals but still require a bed and care. Includes an on-site clinic.
The province is also working to build a rent-geared-to-income tiny home community in the Halifax area. There will be 52 units built on surplus land owned by the municipality on Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville, which will provide housing for about 62 people. It’s expected to be completed in the fall.
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