By Kendall Worth!
Hello All;
I am writing this letter today because I am concerned. Everything I have been hearing about people’s park (Halifax) and the way the police are treating residents, has me worried. There needs to be an understanding that people are staying at People's Park because they cannot afford to rent anywhere. Shelters are full, and they have No-Where-Else to go at present. Lately, it seems that the resident’s of People’s Park right to good, healthy food, has been violated, which is also wrong.
I am interested in the well being of the residents who live at People’s Park and I support the existence of People Park.
I am a poverty Advocate/Activist here in Halifax Nova Scotia and a Journalist who reports on the Poverty Related issues here in this city. Here is my Full BLOG “https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/”
I invite you to check it out!
Also, for a period of time, I had been part of, and was once the chair of, an advocacy group called the Benefits Reform Action Group. This group advocated to get the Income Assistance Rates increased plus advocating to get other changes made to Department of Community Services employment support and income assistance program.
The Low income assistance rates are not meeting the local rental market in this city, and is one of the major causes of homelessness here in Halifax.
The police harassing people living in poverty needs to stop. These people, who police are harassing, include people with mental health and additions issues. Following the events outside the old Halifax Public Library, on July 18th 2021, we thought for the longest time things were settled, especially following the creation of People’s Park. For a time there was little Police Harassment happening. Just A-little here and there.
However between the dates of February 26th 2022 and March 5th 2022, harassment level by police at People’s Park seems to be picking up again. Social media Posts on Twitter have me concerned.
It is my belief that both HRM City Council and the Provincial Government have a role to play in solving the problems, although in different ways. The following factors explain why:
The overall number of homeless people we have here in Halifax, is not limited to those staying at People’s Park.
Besides low income assistance rates, overall lack of affordable housing is playing a major roll in why our homeless population is getting larger.
There is evidence that homelessness is becoming more of an issue in other parts of Nova Scotia, outside of HRM.
Evidence is proving that things like temporary rent control and rental subsidies are not helping much to keep the homeless population down.
Shelters are full, where are these people suppose to go if they get evicted from People’s Park?
All of the above statements illustrate the reality of why we have a larger than normal homeless population these days.
The city of Halifax is losing interest in wanting to be supportive of People’s Park. Actions like taking down their food tent means that the city does not care if the homeless end up eating spoiled food. Sources tell me that on Friday March 4th, 2022, when residents and volunteers tried to make a second attempt to build a structure to keep food from getting spoiled, the police showed up and removed all the materials. I am also told, by these same sources that police threatened to make arrest when the residents and volunteers tried to protect the materials to build the food structure. Police action toward the residents of People’s Park, and others, is downright damaging toward the mental and physical health of those residents.
Right now, the problem is just a new food tent being built to keep food protected from being spoiled. However what is next?
Are the residents of People’s Park getting evicted? Is that yet to come?
Why is it taking so long to get those "Modular Units" built in the parking lot of Centennial Pool?
If those units were built by now, then maybe (not all the Homeless) some homeless would have somewhere to go.
In the meantime, I believe that the residents of People’s park are owed an apology by the City for the destruction of their food shelter – which they should be allowed to build! Lets create a solution to get these residents out of People’s Park to better living arrangements, but, this is not going to happen over night and the City/Police need to understand this.
Where the province has responsibility over this is making Rent Control permanent and making it apply to vacant units, building more stock of safe affordable Public Housing, and raising the income assistance rates.
Your Truly;
Kendall Worth
On behalf of Poverty Advocates in this city!
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