LOWER SACKVILLE: More unhoused Nova Scotians will soon have a shelter to call their own, beginning with 19 Pallet homes set to be installed at Beacon House in Lower Sackville.
The province and Pallet officials announced that Beacon House would be home to the first Pallet Village in the province. It will be at their Metropolitan Avenue shelter location.
The charitable organization will provide operational and wraparound supports for people living in 19 Pallet units.
Pallet is a North American leader in rapid-response shelter villages designed and built by people with lived experience.
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Jim Gunn, Chair, Leadership Support Team, Beacon House, said support from many levels is making the idea of having the Palelt Village there a reality.
“With the continuing support of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth and the strong community spirit of Lower Sackville, the Beacon House shelter is well prepared to add these 19 Pallet shelters to our operations and get more people out of the cold,” said Gunn.
He said that the 19 unhoused people who will be in the Pallet Village will be selected by outreach workers and service providers will determine who will be offered the opportunity to live in them.
Gunn also added that Beacon House will be able to provide meals to those at the village through the work of volunteers.
Reading a statement from Cheryl Newcombe, a co-worker of Gunn’s at Beacon House, he said there are way too many people who are homeless.
“To free as many as possible, as quickly as possible, from the risks, even the danger of living rough in a tent is what we must do,” he said. “We must continue to do all we can.”
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Trevor Boudreau. Minister of Community Services, said solutions are often not as simple as finding someone an available apartment.
“There are many who need more than a home for stability. This could mean treatment for addiction, harm reduction services, mental health care or more,” said Boudreau.
“It is our goal to provide sheltering options that help people on the road to more permanent supportive housing options, and Pallet is another step on the path.”
The units are expected to arrive in late January. Once assembled, they will be connected to power and water; final preparations will include installing fencing around the site before residents move in.
The Department is working with partners/service providers to set up more villages in the coming months:
– 30 Pallet units on Henry Street in Sydney, with Ally Centre and New Dawn Enterprises- 20 Pallet units at 70 Exhibition St., Kentville, with Open Arms Resource Centre
– an undetermined number of Pallet units at the Halifax Forum, 6210 Young St., with 902 Man Up.
Timing will be announced once locations have been surveyed.
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Amy King, CEO of Pallet, said Nova Scotia is moving quickly on this.
“I can tell you with certainty and authority that the province of Nova Scotia is moving faster than most jurisdictions that we have partnered with in the history of Pallet,” said King to reporters. “So while it might seem slow to you, this is actually moving very fast.”
People living in encampments will be given priority and service providers and outreach workers will continue to work with people experiencing homelessness to determine which shelter option best meets their needs.
The Department is working with partners/service providers to set up more villages in the coming months:
– 30 Pallet units on Henry Street in Sydney, with Ally Centre and New Dawn Enterprises
– 20 Pallet units at 70 Exhibition St., Kentville, with Open Arms Resource Centre
– an undetermined number of Pallet units at the Halifax Forum, 6210 Young St., with 902 Man Up.
Timing will be announced once locations have been surveyed.
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The units purchased by the province are single occupancy.
Residents will have access to meals, transportation, washroom and laundry facilities, and supports and services to transition to permanent housing.
Service providers for all villages will provide additional services like health and employment supports based on residents’ needs.
In preparation, the department will continue working closely with partners including the departments of Public Works and Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Office of the Fire Marshal, service providers, Nova Scotia Power, Halifax Water and municipalities.
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Quick Facts:
– Beacon House provides services and supports to people experiencing homelessness in and around the Sackville area; it operates a shelter on Metropolitan Avenue, as well as a retail store and food bank to support vulnerable Nova Scotians
– the Province purchased 200 units from Pallet, 100 designated for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and 100 for other communities, including Sydney and Kentville
– the Province will invest $7.5 million in shelters produced by Pallet, which includes bed frames, mattresses and desks, and support operations
– there are 355 shelter beds in HRM, with 493 shelter beds provincewide
– in the last two years, the Province has created 474 new supportive housing units – 44 per cent of its 1,085 target; there are currently 643 supportive housing units across Nova Scotia
