Dartmouth encampment slowly growing as warmer temperatures arrive

Residents of a tent encampment in Dartmouth, N.S., speak about surviving and housing affordability.

PJ McKay has lived at the Green Road encampment in Dartmouth for the past three years. She says it was once like a community to her, but it has since become more like survival.

“It can be pretty stressful. There are days you can relax but then there are other days where you can hear a lot of fighting arguing if you don’t agree with somebody, sometimes you are feeling endangered,” says McKay.

The Green Road location is one of HRM’s two designated encampment sites. During the winter, McKay says she finds this place much quieter and she sees more movement when the warmer temperatures arrive.

“Around this time of year, every year we get an increase of tents, weather is getting nicer, people are getting a little more on edge and being put out of shelters, shelters being closed and others coming out here from an apartment that didn’t work out,” says McKay.

She says many of those living there now are returning from last year, but she has seen a few new faces as well.

“There is a few new faces coming in once in awhile and they are short lived, thank goodness. They do get a place out of here. I have seen maybe two or three faces so far this year,” adds McKay.

The Halifax Regional Municipality was not available for an interview to discuss the numbers of those living here but did send a statement to CTV News.

“The number of individuals staying at designated encampment locations has remained relatively steady in recent weeks and is currently lower than it was a few weeks ago. We have also seen some movement of individuals from outdoor locations into indoor accommodations,” says Graeme Benjamin, public affairs advisor on behalf of The Halifax Regional Municipality.

Dartmouth East Councillor Tony Mancini says he doesn’t have any encampments in his jurisdiction but says as the temperatures warm up, those living in shelters tend to make their way outdoors.

“As the weather is getting better, people that are actually in shelters are choosing to come out. They are choosing for many reasons to be outside. Some people have had bad experiences in the shelters, could be a mental health issue or for safety and they would prefer to be in a tent than the designated shelters,” says Mancini.

The Municipality’s desire is to eventually close all encampments. Mancini says he’s on board as long as everyone has a place to go.

“There is a pallet shelter in my district that is well received, a lot of concerns by the community moving in and they were worried about it. But it turns out for the most part it’s been really good, these are definitely an approach that should be taken and increased,” says Mancini.

He, like many others, would like to see more affordable housing. This is something Nicholas Dewolfe agrees with.

“I have been homeless for almost five years, I pretty much went from a trailer like a motor home, to a hotel thank God, to another hotel and to another hotel and finally to the tiny homes and a step back to the double tree,” says Dewolfe, who lives in the bridge shelter.

Dewolfe was recently kicked out of the tiny home he was living in and today he moved into the bridge shelter in Dartmouth.

“The things that go on in these places are horrible, it’s sad. It’s nothing but drug enabling, the most drug-enabling place I’ve ever seen,” says Dewolfe.

He says he could very end up at the Green Road encampment, but is just hoping things will get better,

“I just want to feel like a normal citizen, and I want people to have a better chance,” adds Dewolfe.

The municipality says it will continue to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with the available supports and services which includes housing resources.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page