Extreme weather in N.S. highlights gaps in support for homeless people

After a summer of wildfires and flooding in Nova Scotia, some of those that work with the province's homeless population say resources will be further strained in the event of another weather emergency.

Communities across the province are now trying to prepare to support homeless people as winter approaches, and the last few months of intense weather have highlighted some gaps in the system, according to the CEO of a drop-in centre in Halifax.

"When you're already facing a huge shortage of housing, it's almost impossible to be prepared for major events where there is a catastrophe involved," said Michelle Porter, head of Halifax's Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.

"We're already extremely short on places to live, on shelter beds, so how is that going to be made easier or better if we suffer a catastrophic event?"

Porter said Souls Harbour is prepared to meet needs that are "very immediate and urgent," including meals and supplies, but a lack of housing remains the biggest hurdle.

In the wildfires across the Halifax area in late May and early June, some 200 structures, including 150 homes, left many looking for a place to live as they looked to rebuild. Similar situations arose as a result of the flooding that happened across the province in July.

The ongoing housing crisis in the province has been a key concern, particularly as it continues to cause a backlog in shelters and transitional housing across the province.

And last month, Halifax South Downtown councillor Waye Mason said more designated tenting sites are needed in the city, with the number of people sleeping rough on the rise.

Nancy Dicks, the mayor of New Glasgow, N.S., said the shelters in the area — Viola's Place Society and Roots for Youth — were well prepared to support the local homeless population in the event of an emergency, but there has been "without question" a growth in the number of homeless people in the town.

"We have many people that actually aren't from Pictou County that have come to New Glasgow because we do have a shelter," Dicks said in an interview. "I have to be honest, we've seen an increase in encampments throughout our community and it's always challenging to deal with that."

Winter plan for homeless population

Meredith Cowan, the executive director of Homelessness and Supportive Housing in the Department of Community Services, said it is working "with municipalities and community groups and service providers across the province to recognize what those areas will need" as the department puts together a winter plan for shelters across the province.

Cowan said in an interview that the government tries to respond to what is required by different organizations in Nova Scotia.

That can include adding beds to already existing shelters or creating new shelter facilities, she said, as well as funding to make sure things such as people's tents, tarps and food can be replaced if they get ruined.

The biggest challenge facing the province in supporting the homeless population comes down to finding locations that can meet the needs of people without housing, Cowan said.

"We would require a facility that has multiple bathrooms, that has a generator so that we don't lose power. It's not about just having a space. It has to be a space that works for those folks, has the room and the ability for them to be safe and comfortable," Cowan added. "Those are often harder to come by."

As for the province's winter plan, Cowan said the department will make an announcement once it's completed.