Provincial Housing Solution Snubbed by Homeless Former Mayoral Candidate

If you’re new here. Welcome. If you’re familiar with my views on homelessness, it should come as no surprise that I’m pretty blunt about the topic. As shocking as this piece may be for some, it will highlight the typical attitude of many homeless in the province and their various demands.

The homelessness crisis in Nova Scotia is no different than any other province in Canada. Encampments have popped up through cities and communities who are becoming aware of the dangers hidden within them. As an acknowledgment of record high rent prices the province IS at least attempting to do something to provide a roof over heads of the homeless.  It’s disappointing that many homeless people aren’t willing to compromise on any of their demands, and are stubbornly choosing to stay in tents instead. Sadly, this often means that their pets are also denied the warmth and protection from the elements that is on offer.

As a temporary solution to homelessness, the province decided, in part, on pallet villages. These are located in Sackville, Clayton Park, Dartmouth, Kentville and Cape Breton’s Whitney Pier. These pallet shelters are for low needs individuals, some of whom may be employed and/ or able to care for themselves. Others may have minor addictions and/or mental health issues that need managing.

Pallets are FREE to live in, but they are temporary. The concept is to help homeless people get the assistance they need and the confidence to continue to excel in other areas of their lives. If they not working, they are expected to work towards obtaining work. If working, they are expected to search for permanent housing outside of these pallet villages.

Of note, the pallet villages differ from the tiny home village in Lower Sackville at the Cobequid Ballfield. The tiny homes are for people who can afford rent whether through employment or a government financial aid of some sort. The people living in the tiny homes should be addiction free and able to provide and care for themselves.

Last week, homeless advocate Matt Grant had a locally well known homeless individual, Andrew Goodsell, (former mayoral candidate) on one of his live broadcasts via his Facebook profile. The conversation between them was an update Andrew’s tour of the pallet village with his dog Dusty.  Dusty was formerly featured in various videos Andrew posted during his Mayoral campaign (which he subsequently lost only collecting approximately 850 votes from citizens). The following quotes are from Andrew Goodsell during his broadcasted conversation with Matt Grant which you can watch on the video screen grab I have posted here.

Andrew Goodsell: “The first thing I realized when I got there was it looked like a detention center”

While the surrounding fence bears a similarity to fencing at a detention centre, the province has explained this is to help protect the people living at the pallet shelter from potential harassment from people outside.

Andrew Goodsell: “They did have amenities, which was kind of cool, they did have laundry facilities and a meal program there. And they had the little tiny caskets all over the place for everybody. And apparently there is issues with these caskets with condensation because they come from California.”

Does this sound like someone who doesn’t want to be homeless? He denounces the pallet shelters as caskets, and rejects them, while  acknowledging they have many benefits he does not currently have.

The pallet shelters are specifically designed homes for homeless people to have a space of their own. I acknowledge they are not similar to a five star hotel downtown, but they are a start, and a no cost ray of hope for someone who truly wants to take the opportunity to better themselves.

Andrew Goodsell: “I took the tour, and then I sat down, and they told me that 1) I wasn’t allowed any control of my own cannabis. I had to give it to the office and they keep track of it. Which I told them was obviously an issue because if anything happens at that encampment and they are busy then I’m not getting my cannabis until they are done doing whatever they are doing. So that was a huge issue to me especially when I found out that they are allowed to drink and stuff in their huts.”

Matt Grant then asks Andrew: “So drinking is allowed but cannabis is not?”

Andrew responds “Yes, in the huts. Cannabis or smoking in general are not allowed in them. They do have a smoking area in general. But you are not allowed to smoke cannabis in that area. You’ve got to go off property to do that.”

Now, I believe that my opinion is not that unique in thinking that all places have rules. Whether you are are given this free roof over your head from the goverment with absolutely zero financial responsibility to upkeep, pay rent, etc. or you are renting one of the overpriced apartments popping up throughout the city, chances are you would be in a tough search to find apartments that let you smoke inside of the building whether an apartment or pallet, whether cigarettes or weed. I should also should note the no smoking design is that of the actual manufacturer.

The manufacturers also stated that they do not allow smoking inside the structures. I also would like to point out that many homeless people are indeed addicts, that’s just a fact. However, people in pallets could very well be recovering from substance abuse or have mental health struggles and finally settling down, as are many others on this planet. It’s not always about us as individuals but for many it’s the bigger picture.

And lastly:

Andrew Goodsell: “The thing that I found triggering the most was when that the girl that I need to be looking for market housing, um while I was there. Literally blew my mind knowing that there is no market housing for anyone in my situation. There is no such thing as trying to find somewhere for 7, 8, 900$ now a days. But they told me that was a condition of being there. Between the fact it looks like a detention center, they wanted to have control over my cannabis, um right down to the papers I couldn’t even have rolling papers on me.”

Now, I feel certain that many of you are thinking the same as me, “beggers can’t be choosers”. What is more disturbing is the fact that Andrew Goodsell has a dog that he is allowed to bring with him into the pallet shelter and instead of thinking of what is in Dusty’s best interests, Andrew has chosen to continue to subject Dusty to the harsh cold and elements of weather in the winter.

I believe that the organization saying they need to be actively seeking market value housing is looking for good faith behaviour to become self sufficient and accept help to move forward in their lives. They don’t threaten to kick residents out after a specific time. Andrew is an adult and he needs to be making the adult decisions and adult steps to secure his own housing, even if he thinks it’s like searching for a needle in a hay stack. He needs to be doing things for himself to better his situation instead of sitting around making origami planes and animals as he has done for the last year downtown out of his tent.

And here we come to where you likely know what my opinion is on this. Honestly? Someone like Andrew who thinks they are entitled to a free 3 bedroom home without doing any work or rule following, screw ‘em. I believe many homeless people in this province would gladly take this opportunity as a way to begin their uphill battle to success, so leave him where he is, right in that tent complaining about housing first when given a house for free, calling the pallet shelters“caskets”, and completely disregarding the attempt that the province is making to eliminate homelessness when he himself who is homeless does nothing to better himself.

And to finish, shame on the advocates who give him a platform and aren’t encouraging people like him to take this first step with resources to help. It only has to start, and people like this man who complains at seemingly everything offered that isn’t from the silver spoon, they can keep on living their tent life. You know, cause it seems to be working out so great.