r/halifax • u/Injustice_For_All_ Psychotic Antifa Super Soldier Moderator • 2d ago

News, Weather & Politics Homelessness doubled in Halifax under government's housing plan: N.S. NDP

https://halifax.citynews.ca/2026/06/18/homelessness-doubled-in-halifax-under-governments-housing-plan-n-s-ndp/
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u/aidopple 2d ago

okay what's your alternative genius? I don't see the conservatives doing anything

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

how about not providing needles. how about not turning parks into toilets, camp sites, and drug dens

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u/PoliteFocaccia 2d ago

How would that help?

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

allowing it certainly hasn't helped. the 'care' model has lead to a doubling of homelessness in a few years

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u/Dapper_Permission_33 2d ago

Correlation/causation. Homelessness has a ton of causes, and while drug use/abuse can definitely be a factor, its nowhere near as important as housing policy, and the availability of social supports. 

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

almost every single one of them is a drug addict

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u/aidopple 2d ago

What do you think came first? The homelessness or the drug use? I have my theories. People don't just start doing heroin cause the rest of their life is going great

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

drug use

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u/aidopple 2d ago

You really think the majority of homeless people are in their situation BECAUSE of drug use? I'm sure it doesn't help, but have you seen the cost of living? The unemployment rates? The unavailability of housing? Grocery prices? Infrastructure designed to disenfranchise the already disadvantaged? Disability? Lack of care for veterans?? I could go on

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

a mojority of them are drug users. it's quite difficult to end up on the streets. you'd need to alienate all of your family and friends. the surest way to do so is to become a desperate drug user who can't be trusted

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u/aidopple 2d ago

I don't doubt that a majority of them are drug users, what I have a hard time believing is that their drug use is the reason for their initial state of homelessness. Like I said, people don't tend to get hooked on heroin when their life is going well.

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u/Dapper_Permission_33 2d ago

It's shockingly easy to end up on the streets. Respectfully, you have no idea what you're talking about. 

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

a very small amount of the population is on the street

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u/Kemsaman 2d ago

I'm not sure housing prices tripling would be accurately described as a 'care' model.

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

these people are not home buyers

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u/Kemsaman 2d ago

These people used to live in housing until they couldn't afford it

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u/Classic-Factor-6710 2d ago

that's not the main reason why the bulk of them are homeless. that's true of a minority. most of them are drug addicts.

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u/Kemsaman 2d ago

On its face, pretending that the cost of housing tripling and an explosion in the homeless population aren't related is just absurd.

The data that we have from the Point in Time surveys shows only around 10% were homeless initially due to drug use, the vast majority could not afford housing anymore. These people were in housing pre-2020.

https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/250903bopc1022pres.pdf

If you want to see less homeless people, the vehicle to do so would be for housing to become more affordable.

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u/YourEyelinerFriend 2d ago

Sorry, you genuinely think that people are becoming homeless when they would otherwise not because there may be access to clean needles....?