'We didn't see this coming,' says shelter operator dropped by province

Taryn Grant · CBC

· Posted: Jul 11, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 11

A non-profit radical that abruptly mislaid its declaration with the state to tally 2 shelters successful the Halifax country says it was caught disconnected defender and is near speculating about the reasons why.

Eric Jonsson, vice-chair of the committee for Out of the Cold Community Association, said helium and 2 others with the radical were called to a gathering with provincial staffers Tuesday greeting wherever they were handed a missive that said Out of the Cold would nary longer beryllium progressive successful operating 2 modular supportive lodging sites.

One is connected Cogswell Street successful Halifax and the different connected Church Street successful Dartmouth. Together they location much than 60 people.

Jonsson said they were fixed 30 minutes to permission the property, escorted by information unit — an acquisition helium described arsenic surreal and insulting.

"It is my occupation arsenic a committee subordinate to benignant of oversee the large picture. And we didn't spot this coming," Jonsson said successful an interrogation Thursday. 

He said helium feels immoderate work for not anticipating the move, though helium does not afloat recognize the province's determination oregon the mode it carried it out.

"I've heard of places being, you know, work providers being replaced, but it's ne'er wrong similar a half-hour notice. You springiness radical a period oregon 2 to benignant of tidy things up to guarantee a creaseless transition."

Scott Armstrong, the curate of opportunities and societal development, said the declaration with Out of the Cold was coming up for renewal successful aboriginal August, and his section decided to extremity it aboriginal and alteration work providers due to the fact that of concerns that helium said had been brewing for respective years.

The radical has run the 2 shelters since they opened successful 2022 in response to surging rates of homelessness, rising rents and a debased vacancy rate.

Speaking to reporters Thursday aft a furniture meeting, Armstrong said determination were issues with the facilities and concerns astir carnal safety. 

"We had done galore meetings, galore interventions betwixt our unit and the unit of Out of the Cold and those things were not resolved," helium said.

He would not spell into item astir the problems, and erstwhile asked, helium denied that amerciable substance use by residents had thing to bash with the move. Armstrong said helium has "more confidence" in Atlantic Community Shelter Society, the work supplier that's taking over.

Jonsson said unit from Armstrong's section justified the alteration to him differently.

"They gave america three reasons, saying that our policies weren't successful enactment with what they wanted them to be, they said that our documentation wasn't up to modular that they expected and that we weren't co-operating with the assemblage arsenic good arsenic we should have," said Jonsson,

He elaborated that "co-operating with the community" progressive neighbours, constabulary and the justness system. 

He said the state had raised concerns successful the past and Out of the Cold was moving with them and making progress. He pointed to the summation of on-site information arsenic a measurement the non-profit had taken successful the province's direction. 

"As acold arsenic I've talked to everybody, there's been nary outstanding concerns erstwhile it comes to things similar information oregon things similar the facilities themselves," Jonsson said.

He said successful the lack of a much elaborate explanation, he's near to speculate astir the province's motivation. In spite of the minister's denial, Jonsson said Out of the Cold's harm simplification attack seems to beryllium portion of the equation.

"We astatine Out of the Cold, we don't expect radical to alteration to get their basal needs met. We judge lodging is simply a quality close and we don't privation conditions attached to those quality rights. We privation radical to travel arsenic they are," helium said.

Jonsson said that means they bash not necessitate residents to beryllium sober, successful a betterment program, oregon to beryllium medicated if they're dealing with intelligence illness.

Out of the Cold allowed residents to enactment indefinitely. An email sent by a section authoritative to immoderate assemblage workers this week indicated a alteration successful the expected timeline for transitioning radical retired of the sites, into much independent, possibly marketplace housing. 

Armstrong said residents volition proceed to beryllium capable to "move astatine their ain pace."

Jonsson said helium hopes the caller work providers "understand the complexity" of the residents' needs. But nary substance the rules, helium said the radical surviving astatine the 2 sites are resilient and helium expects they volition accommodate to immoderate caller rules, oregon find determination other to live.

He said he's chiefly acrophobic astir the Out of the Cold unit — somewhere betwixt 40 and 60 radical — who person mislaid their jobs. He said the state has provided immoderate backing to let unit to beryllium paid out, and Out of the Cold is successful the process of figuring retired however acold that backing volition go.

The state has said unit volition person opportunities to reapply for positions astatine the sites, oregon for different positions successful the sector.