Nova Scotia says it is putting $378,000 towards a new emergency shelter in Lower Sackville, “to serve people experiencing homelessness.”
In partnership with non-profit Beacon House Interfaith Society, the province is working to open an evening and overnight shelter at St. Elizabeth Seton Church on Metropolitan Avenue. The shelter will provide 20 beds for all genders, with staffing and resources provided by Beacon House.
“This funding from the province enables us to provide shelter overnight through these cold winter months and build on the wonderful support we receive from our volunteers and the community,” said Cheryl Newcombe, the executive director of Beacon House.
Karla MacFarlane, Minister of Community Services, said in a Thursday release this funding will help connect those experiencing homelessness with services. “Having a safe and warm place for people to sleep at night makes our communities safer and more welcoming places for all,” MacFarlane said.
This comes days after the Halifax Regional Municipality added a Lower Sackville ballfield to its list of designated sites for encampments. Over the summer, about a dozen people set up tents at a park near Little Sackville River, but the HRM couldn’t designate that area for an encampment.
In council last week, the city designated the Correctional Ballfield on Cobequid Road in the town as its fifth designated site, with room for eight tents. The site was approved as there is currently no use for recreational baseball during off-season, the city said.
Other designated areas include Green Road Park and the Geary Street green space in Dartmouth, as well as the Barrington Street green space and Lower Flinn Park in Halifax.
The Halifax Regional Municipality has also partnered with 902 Man Up and Christ Church for winter emergency shelters. On Monday, a men’s 20-bed overnight shelter is opening on Dundas Street in Dartmouth, while a 40-bed shelter for all genders is already running on North Park Street in Halifax.
The Lower Sackville shelter funded partially by the province is set to open in in the coming weeks.
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