The 90-day countdown for those who rely on the Northstar homeless shelter in New Glasgow, N.S., has begun. The Nova Scotia government said it will stop funding the shelter by Dec. 23. “At the end of the day, this is a recognition that the current site and the service model does not meet the needs of the community and it’s really critical for me to convey that that this decision does now in anyway reduce services,” says Susan Corkum-Greek, minister of Opportunities and Social Development. The Mayor of New Glasgow Nancy Dicks says there are mixed feelings from the community after this but also relief. She says it’s a step forward but more needs to be done to deal with the complex issue. “It’s not as maybe the headline would read, the shelter is closing, there is much more to this. There is a plan in place and we had asked for a transition plan to be worked on before the shelter itself would be closed and I am going to be confident that these three months will allow for the transition to happen,” says Dicks. Dicks explains she was not surprised by the province’s decision and she is pleased that acted “relatively quickly.” The province says outreach workers and experienced professionals will help those using the shelter find alternate housing and support during the transition. “What we launched is an expression of interest related to Pictou, Kings and Lunenburg counties really reaching out to nonprofits, the municipalities, the stake holders at the municipal levels to come together with their ideas,” says Corkum-Greek. Some of these ideas could include adding to existing programs, buying new properties for supportive housing, as well as getting the staff and support needed to help people stay in housing. This is part of a new supportive housing model the province says it is building. The goal is to move away from shelters and into supported and stable environments. “Certainly we know there have been particular challenges that have come to the floor in each of these communities and yet I would like to emphasize there are commonalities of experiences,” Corkum-Greek says. “These communities are all distinct and have distinct issues and equally they have distinct assets and strengths. We wanted to start looking at this as a pilot to reach out to these communities. “But we know that the need for supportive housing, for housing with support is greater and we will continue to be open to additional work.” Micheal Kablen with the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia he’s happy with the government’s decision about looking into more supportive housing. “The only true solution to homelessness is to match people with housing that meets their needs,” says Kablen. Kablen explains shelters are meant to be a temporary solution and the goal is a world where homelessness is rare, brief and not recurring. He says more affordable and supportive housing is the path forward. “Shelters aren’t the solution to homelessness. We have been saying that for a long time and so the decision to invest in supportive housing is the right one. It’s just unfortunate that we are not seeing a new supportive housing opened at the same time as the decision to close the shelter comes out,” says Kablen. Marie-France LeBlanc, CEO of the North End Community Health Centre in Halifax, says shelters are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing homelessness. “Identify where the gaps are and provide those services,” she says. “The needs are different. Homelessness is a spectrum. Not everyone needs the same thing.” The government may be cutting funding to the Northstar shelter, but since it is a nonprofit organization, it is ultimately their decision to stay open or closed. “There isn’t a licensing of the work they do. So, it isn’t something that the government can do to come in and shut them down, and I would like to add to that, they have provided an important service to this point and these decisions are not made lightly in any way,” says Corkum-Greek. CTV News reached out to Northstar but did not get a response by deadline. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
