Mayoral candidate says Halifax attracts unhoused people, advocates say that’s untrue

A campaigner for Halifax politician says the municipality’s attack to stateless encampments has encouraged unhoused radical from crossed the state to determination to the metropolis to unrecorded successful tents.

But lodging advocates and a metropolis councillor accidental that assertion is untrue.

Andy Fillmore, erstwhile Liberal subordinate of Parliament for Halifax, says constabulary person told him the metropolis is attracting stateless radical from extracurricular the state — a information helium attributes to the municipality providing outhouses and h2o astatine designated encampment sites.

He besides claims determination is simply a emergence successful out-of-province stateless radical due to the fact that the metropolis has failed to promptly region tents from encampments that are not sanctioned by the municipality.

However, lodging advocates Nikki Greer and Steve Wilsack accidental the immense bulk of stateless radical they enactment with successful the metropolis are local.

And Waye Mason, a Halifax councillor who is besides moving for mayor, says Fillmore’s assertion is baseless and that information collected by the metropolis shows that 61 per cent of stateless radical successful the country person lived successful Halifax for much than 10 years.

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Mason says the bulk of the remaining 39 per cent person been successful the metropolis betwixt 8 and 5 years, making Fillmore’s assertion “probably untrue.”

Halifax Regional Police did not instantly respond to questions astir Fillmore’s assertion connected the city’s homeless.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Sept. 24, 2024.