Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative government has made significant progress in expanding housing with over 1,100 supportive units, surpassing its goals and expecting to reach nearly 1,600 units by 2028. While this growth is a step forward, addressing homelessness requires more than just providing housing. Mental health, addiction issues, and high rates of criminal involvement among the homeless continue to pose challenges. Shelters and supportive housing have faced increasing problems with substance abuse, violence, and criminal activity. For example, a supportive housing site on Halifax’s Cogswell Street became a hotspot for drug trafficking, leading to investigations by the provincial Justice Department and a potential court order to close the site.
Experts, including clinical psychologist Julian Somers, argue that clustering supportive housing in one location is ineffective and can perpetuate street culture within the buildings. Instead, he advocates for scattered housing models. While the government acknowledges issues at some sites, officials insist that the problem is not widespread. However, frontline workers are facing burnout, and experts suggest deeper, long-term interventions are needed. Despite these challenges, there is hope that Nova Scotia can still develop an effective homelessness strategy, provided the right approach is implemented.
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