Homelessness team plans to close all Halifax encampments within 2 years: staff report

Halifax plans to de-designate all encampments in the municipality within two years.

The Halifax homelessness team plans to close all remaining designated encampments in the municipality within two years, according to a staff report for council.

Acting Chief Administrative Officer Brad Anguish submitted a motion seeking council’s approval on an updated framework for handling homelessness in the municipality on Tuesday. Council previously voted in favour of the framework in 2023.

The report notes a 2024 point in time count found homelessness had increased by more than 400 per cent since 2018. At one point, more than 200 people were sleeping rough in municipal parks and event spaces.

“While the number of people experiencing homelessness has been increasing, the number of people sleeping rough in the HRM has dropped by 50%, to approximately 100 people,” the report reads. “This is mainly through the commitment of the Province of Nova Scotia to open more beds for sheltering and temporary housing. As of September 9, 2025, there are more than 81 beds available between shelters and temporary housing options.

“With ongoing vacancies in the shelter and temporary housing system, the situation in HRM has changed dramatically from when the initial Framework to Address Homelessness in HRM was approved by Regional Council in 2023.”

Council voted unanimously in favour of the new framework, which includes a goal to shut down the remaining designated encampments within 18-to-24 months.

“The new focus is on assertively or proactively connecting people to housing options that now exist,” said Mayor Andy Fillmore, who previously told CTV News Atlantic he’d be disappointed if the remaining encampments weren’t closed in the next 18 months.

The municipality is currently in the process of de-designating and shutting down the Lower Flinn Park encampment by Dec. 6 following a shooting in the area in October. It has also closed the University Avenue, Geary Street and Cogswell Park encampments in the last year.

The remaining encampments are the Barrington Street green space in Halifax and Green Road Park in Dartmouth.

“The closure of designated encampments will be phased over a reasonable period to allow the outreach team to work with each individual to ensure appropriate indoor options are available that match the person’s specific needs,” the report reads. “Close monitoring of the impact of closures on other sites (designated and undesignated) will be an ongoing part of our work. Taking a measured, carefully phased, and person-centred approach to closures will ensure that encampment closures do not lead to significant increases in undesignated encampments.”

The city will also add rules to the remaining encampments such as addressing safety concerns for both those living in tents and people living around them.

“We haven’t worked out all the details yet but it would certainly look [at] things that have been issues like noise and garbage or uncontrolled growth,” said Rachel Boehm, executive director of HRM community safety.

Coun. Sam Austin said the encampments were never intended to be permanent, but he stressed the need to think of the “best interest of the people who are most vulnerable.”

Fillmore also noted the process for moving people away from encampments is crucial.

“Moving from an encampment to a structured, indoor environment is a big change in someone’s life,” he said. “The pace at which we move people indoors is a key ingredient in making sure they stay indoors.”

Functional zero

The report said the updated framework will aim to reach “functional zero,” which means homelessness would be rare and non-recurring.

“From a practical perspective, homelessness will never end in HRM or any other community,” the report reads. “There will always be people who become homeless due to sudden and unique circumstances. (Functional zero) means that the system in place is able to respond quickly and effectively to prevent long-term or repeated homelessness.”

The report also notes the need for seasonal planning as encampment numbers drop by 50 per cent in the winter but rise again in the spring.

“HRM’s homelessness team will develop specific plans to address seasonal variations and actively monitor community locations when the warmer weather arrives to ensure that those living rough are quickly connected to indoor shelter and temporary housing options,” the report reads.

“(The team) will also implement a variety of encampment management processes and procedures to ensure constant flow from encampment to indoor shelter and housing options. For instance, HRM will ensure that each person sheltering at designated sites is registered and connected to an outreach worker. Numbers of campers and size of sites will be controlled and maintained and other safety concerns better managed.”

The updated framework will also focus on provincial-municipal collaborations, prevention strategies and data-informed project management.

A Dalhousie University social work professor said despite this updated framework, the city still needs to focus on existing challenges.

“We can’t forget the fact that this is really a crisis of affordability and we’re losing affordable stock,” said Jeff Karabanow. “It’s really important that we get people into some form of affordable housing.”

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Callum Smith and Hafsa Arif

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