Council debates plan to designate parks for use by unhoused people

Regional councillors agreed to scrap the idea of designating some parks only for use overnight, asking staff to look at which ones can be used long-term by people experiencing homelessness

CITYnews halifax \ Mark Hodgins

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Halifax councillors have given municipal staff some more work to do following a spirited debate on the issue of homelessness. 

A staff report before council on Tuesday suggested the municipality designate certain parks for use by unhoused people. Some of those locations would be for long-term use, while others would allow people to use nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

An amendment from councillor Waye Mason scrapped that idea. The downtown Halifax councillor’s amendment, which was passed, requests staff to determine if any of the parks designated for nightly use could be used long-term instead.

Several councillors, including deputy mayor Pam Lovelace, voiced concerns that the plan from staff would only serve to further criminalize unhoused people. She also noted that staff did not consult directly with people currently experiencing homelessness in the area.

And other councillors continued to question the province’s lack of participation on the issue of homelessness, which is a provincial mandate.

“Is the province looking at Crown land that can be used for this purpose, and if not, why not,” asked councillor Lisa Blackburn, her frustration visible. “If tents started to pop up under the statue of Joe Howe or over in the back yard of the Lieutenant Governor’s house, the province would be moving pretty damn quick.”

Council has directed the CAO to, among other things, formalize the designated park areas, removing overnight locations with the potential to add those to the long-term supply. The CAO will also be tasked with creating a memorandum of understanding with the province to define each government’s roles.

It remains unclear when these designations could become a reality, and what that would mean for the encampment at Meagher park on the peninsula, which has become better known as the “People’s Park”.