Thread by @MutualAidHfx

Halifax Mutual Aid has heard many misrepresentations & outright lies originate from #Halifax Council. Some are so strange they’re funny. Most are just frustrating & disappointing. And a few have been so outrageously harmful & mean-spirited that we need to address them directly. 1

On Friday, our community learned about @hfxgov’s surprise removal & destruction of three crisis shelters, rewriting the timeline for removal that they committed to earlier in the week. Halifax Mutual Aid & numerous shelter occupants were taken by surprise. But there were clues. 2

Mid-week, the shelter occupant at Victoria Park told HMA they were locked out because of a new padlock & hasp on their door. It was news to HMA. Because @hfxgov said demolishing would start on the 13th, it never occurred to us that the city might have installed the lock & hasp. 3

The occupant was locked out. The next night, the new lock & hasp were removed so the occupant could get a safe sleep. As usual, they woke up early & left for work. They only kept a bed in the shelter because of HRMs threats. They locked the door with their original lock & hasp. 4

That day, while at work, HMA informed the occupant that their shelter had been removed by @hfxgov. They shared their frustration about this happening without notice & the fact that #halifax City Council never offered any other housing options as they claimed to have done. 5

They lost their crisis shelter - the safety of a lockable space that kept them from the harsh elements. In response to hearing that this had happened, @hfxgov Councillors reacted w/ vitriol & slander, accusing us of lying. They never contacted HMA to offer their promised hotel. 6

The next morning brought more bad news. HMA made contact with the occupant of the shelter that @hfxgov had removed in Dartmouth the day before. HMA had been trying to contact this occupant since the City Council announced their plans to destroy all shelters earlier in the week. 7

As is common for people struggling w/homelessness, contacting them can be difficult. Some don’t have phones. Some don’t sleep in their shelters every night, using networks of friends & family to take a few nights somewhere else, to take a shower, to have a moment of normalcy. 8

This morning we were able to make contact w/ the occupant. She told us they went to their shelter last night. Instead of a safe, private, lockable space where they could get out of the storm, they found... nothing. Without other options, they slept outside in the cold & rain. 9

The situation for these two individuals is equal portions infuriating & heartbreaking. This was entirely avoidable - only occurring because @hfxgov & Council shows complete disdain for the homeless residents of #halifax & those that are trying their best to help. 10

While #halifax councillors act like this is a personal feud w/ Halifax Mutual Aid, sleeping out in the rain & cold remains a reality for hundreds of our neighbours. This will go on as long as real housing isn’t available & @hfxgov criminalizes “band-aids” like crisis shelters. 11

In refusing to even communicate w/ groups like Halifax Mutual Aid, they have only put people in further danger, as they did to occupants this week.
We again urge the @hfxgov Mayor & Councillors to re-evaluate their current trajectory, which appears to be a war on the homeless. 12

Finally, we extend a huge thanks to everyone for their overwhelming support. We’re in the right.
Please continue to write & call these politicians! Multiple letters are great. They need to know we won’t give up on our unhoused friends & neighbours. 13

actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent…